How Do You Prevent Mice?

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While it’s important to know how to get rid of mice, it’s also important keep mice out in the future. Indoors and out, there are a number of preventative steps you can take to make your home less hospitable to mice and decrease the chance they’ll return.

Perform upkeep to make outdoor areas less inviting.

• Add squirrel guards to bird feeders and hang them away from your house.
• Keep outdoor cooking areas and grills clean and free of food debris.
• Locate compost bins and woodpiles at least 100-feet away from the home.
• Store grains and animal feed in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids.
• Do not leave animal feed or water dishes out overnight.
• Elevate garbage cans, hay and woodpiles at least 12-inches off the ground.
• Cut back shrubs and low branches within 8-feet of the house.
• Keep grass cut short within 20-feet of the home.

Rethink food storage.

• Keep food in airtight containers made of metal or thick plastic.
• Do not leave produce out on counters or tables.
• Do not leave pet food or water out overnight.
• Consider limiting food consumption to one area of the home.

Clean vigilantly.

• Clean up spilled food right away.
• Wash dishes and cooking utensils immediately after use.
• Store trash and food waste in rodent-proof containers and empty frequently.
• Clean indoor garbage containers frequently with soap and water.
• Vacuum regularly to ensure no stray crumbs are left in carpets or rugs.
• Discard items mice may use for nesting materials, such as newspapers and old magazines.Source

Remove all possible entry points

• Building a mouse-proof home, also known as rodent-proofing, is an effective method to prevent mice infestations from spreading or happening in the first place. Eliminate entry points and easy access to protect your home from mice. Due to a mouse’s potential to cram itself into even the tiniest of openings, this can be difficult (one-quarter of an inch and up). A good rule of thumb is that if a pencil can fit through a crack, hole, or opening, a mouse can too.
• Seal foundation cracks as well as gaps in the walls, such as where utility pipelines and vents are located. Steel wool and caulking work well in this situation. As a sealant, resist using plastic, rubber, wood, or anything else that mice can seamlessly gnaw through. Ensure the sweep on your door generates a seal against the threshold whenever it’s closed, and get weather stripping for door and window gaps.

Make use of mousetraps

• Mouse traps are the most efficient tool to help dispose of mice in a continuous infestation. For light to moderate mouse populations, traditional wooden snap traps will suffice, but keep in mind that most people understate mice infestations. It’s not unusual to set a dozen traps for a single mouse – or what you believe is a single mouse. Use a lot of it. It’s also advisable to set up a variety of traps. In addition to the wooden traps, use bait traps, multiple-capture live traps, and glue traps. This increases your chances of catching all of the mice, as some may be attracted to certain traps and know how to avoid them.

 

4 SIGNS YOU HAVE A MICE INFESTATION

From mowing the lawn and unclogging toilets to repairing leaky faucets, it is easy to see the challenges of owning a home. You most likely consider these tasks priorities to maintain your home, but pest control should also be important.

While surprising for most people to learn, mice can cause enormous structural damage to your home. In addition, these small rodents can spread an estimated 35 diseases through your home and to your family and pets.  Although you may have seen a mouse at one point inside the home, understanding the signs of an infestation is essential. To protect your home and your health, use this guide to learn the signs of a mice infestation.

DROPPINGS

The most common sign of a mice infestation are droppings. This fecal matter left behind by mice may be in piles up against a wall, in a corner, behind a piece of furniture, or in a cabinet or closet. The droppings may vary in size, shape, and color depending on the type of mice that are inside your home.

In most cases, mice droppings will be brown, grey, or black in color. Known as mice rice, the droppings will measure between 3/16 to 1/4 inch in length, which is about the size of a grain of rice.

The sight of droppings does not necessarily mean you have an infestation, since mice can leave behind 50 to 75 pellets per day. If you are seeing numerous piles of droppings, you most likely have an infestation that needs to be addressed.

ODOR

Mice will dribble a small amount of urine across the path they travel through your home. The urine from one mouse will not be noticeable, but multiple mice urinating across multiple paths will result in a buildup of foul-smelling urine.

The urine may have a strong ammonia smell. Ammonia is not only unappealing, but it can also irritate your nose and respiratory system. Without treating your home, you may develop allergy symptoms and breathing difficulties.

NOISE

One mouse scurrying through your home will not usually be noticeable. But if you have a mice infestation, you will easily hear the constant scurrying.

Rodents are nocturnal, meaning they are actively searching for food at night. This period is also the most common time you will hear or see mice in your home. If you hear the scurrying at night in the attic, ceiling, floors, and walls, you most likely have an infestation of mice or other rodents.

HOME DAMAGE

Most homeowners understand the damage termites can do, but they are surprised to learn how mice can affect the home. The constant scurrying, burrowing, gnawing, and scratching can damage the walls and floors of your home. You may see scratch or chew marks on corners of cabinets and molding. In severe infestations, mice may dig out holes in your drywall or flooring in an attempt to create a nest.

While the structural damage is devastating, mice can also increase your risk of fires. Mice are known to chew and scratch electrical wiring and cables in and under your home. You may notice frayed wires behind your television consoles and appliances or damaged cables in your crawlspace.

Never touch these damaged wires or cables, since you may experience an electrical shock.  Contact an electrician to repair wires and cables in a safe, effective manner.

Living with mice is not ideal, but eradicating an infestation is possible. With proper understanding of the signs, you can diagnose an infestation efficiently. If you are noticing or more of the above signs, consult Triangle Wildlife Removal, Inc. today to learn how professional pest control and removal services can help.