So You Have Mice – Here’s What You Need To Know

Mice cause property damage, spread serious disease, and cause anxiety for homeowners. All in all, having a mouse problem can make life miserable. Knowing the signs of a mouse infestation and some simple tips on what steps to take can help you take care of your house as well as members of your household. Here’s what you need to know.  

What Attracts Mice

Mice are attracted to food sources, water and shelter. They often choose to live in the walls of houses, in basements and in garages, where they can access food and water without being disturbed by people.

Mice like to live in places where they can access cloth, cardboard and paper to make nesting materials. They often eat any food they can reach, including any food kept in cardboard boxes or bags (such as cereal, bread and crackers). 

How to Get Rid of Mice 

Often, the easiest and most effective way to get rid of a mouse is to work with a reputable and experienced pest control company. Find a pest control company in your area that offers affordable services. Questions to ask a pest control company before signing up for services include:

• How much does mouse infestation treatment cost?
• Does the cost of treatment include return trips? If not, how much do return trips cost?
• How long is treatment guaranteed to last? 
• Do you have references?
• Are your treatment methods safe for children and pets?

In addition to hiring a pest control company, it’s also important to take steps on your own to remove mice from your home. Knowing that mice are attracted to food and water sources as well as nesting materials, one of the ways you can drive mice out of your house is by making your house harder to access and less hospitable for pests.

• Make the food sources inaccessible. Store foods in hard containers that mice can’t chew through. Plastic and glass containers work well for this. 
• Keep mice away from water sources. Fix leaks (such as plumbing leaks and roof leaks) that could provide a water source for mice.
• Seal your house. Sealing cracks and other points of entry into your house can prevent mice from re-entering your home once they’ve been expelled from your property. Use caulk and wire mesh to seal cracks and holes.   
• Take out the trash and clean your kitchen nightly. Mice can take advantage of trash left in the trash bin or food left in the kitchen sink. Taking out the trash and cleaning your kitchen nightly can help keep mice out of the kitchen.

Prevention is Key

Mouse infestations are hard to get rid of once mice have moved in! You can avoid future problems by preventing mice from taking hold in your home. Make it a habit of yours to keep all food and water sources out of the reach of mice that may enter your home. Keep a good pest control company on speed dial, in case you happen to notice signs of a mouse. Following these tips, you can keep your house mouse-free!