The prime time for mouse infestations inside homes in the region is during the fall and the winter. As soon as they find there is a cozy place to hole up, and there is a good chance of food lying around, they can start moving in.
Before starting to see how to keep mice from your home this fall, you will need to know what the signs are. Read on for more information on getting rid of these rodents before they multiply to an uncontrollable number.
What Do Mice Search For?
The warmth first attracts mice once temperatures begin to drop. They can hide behind walls or any area that is out of sight. Piles of clothing, books or anything they can chew is potentially a new home for the winter.
Once they are in the first time, they will begin to get hungry. If mice are unable to hoard food they bring in, then they will venture further into a home to see what they can find. It doesn’t matter about the kind of food you may have stored. Pet food, birdseed or even your weekly grocery is a potential food source.
One thing to be wary of is cardboard cartons, they won’t fend off a hungry mouse, and they will chew through them if there is something tasty inside.
Will I have One or Two Mice?
If it were that simple, then most homeowners would be able to resolve their rodent problem by themselves. A trap could suffice without the need to call the local pest control company.
However, it is unlucky that if you see one mouse, there is a good chance you have several. Once there is one inside your home, others will follow. Female mice can deliver up to twelve babies every three weeks, so before you know it, you can have a family of mice taking over your entire home.
How to Rid Your Home of Mice
There are some things you can do to help minimize the intrusion of these little furry rodents. Nevertheless, these may not clear your house of these pests, and you may need a professional pest control expert to find the nest.
Points of Entry
Before you can think about laying traps or bait, you do need to know how they are getting into your home. Finding these access points is easier said than done as mice can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and cracks.
It can be your basement, attic roof, or where a company has drilled through your wall to feed a new cable or pipe plumbing. All these areas will need checking as they are all potential ways into your home. One other frequent area is exhaust vents which don’t have screens covering them. These make it easy for mice to worm their way into your home.
Seal Any Openings
Two of the best materials for blocking holes is caulk and steel wool. For some reason, they struggle to chew through these. Caulk is perfect for gaps around doors and windows, while steel wool is ideal for wrapping around pipes where there may be a gap.
Once you are sure where they get in, you can begin laying traps in that area, but be sure you have no children or pets that may find them.
Poisons are an excellent option for getting rid of rodents, yet if an animal dies inside the house, it won’t take long for that death smell to fill the home.
Check the Yard
If you check outside, you can see holes, yet the thing to concern yourself over are trees or shrubs which are close to your house. These will require pruning to stop rodents from using them to their access holes.
Cover your Food
When possible, cutting off the food supply for mice can be enough for them to look elsewhere. Packet foods are easy targets, so keeping these in something secure is a recommendation; likewise foods like oats, cereals or seeds should be in air-tight containers.
One area this may not be possible if your dog food. Once the bowl is full, your dog may not be aware that mice are sharing his nibbles.
Clearing Mice for Good
It is almost impossible for anyone to claim they can stop mice entering your home. The best way to keep a home clear from mice is by making full use of pest control services.
Many of the more reputable companies in the region can perform regular checks. With this, they will include using secure traps, so pets and children are unable to interfere. Taking a proactive approach is the way to go, but in the meantime, a good pest control company will trace back to where your mice problem stems.
They will know all the signs, and if they locate the nest, they can resolve this, and then secure your home from any more visitors until they make their next visit.
Author Bio
Ranger Pest Control has been training Las Vegas pest control specialists since 1996. Vance and Ethan Hardinger first began with extermination services to meet the need for an expanding economy. They aim to help those who are most in need of keeping homes and businesses clear of things that can cause destruction and health issues.