7 Tips For Dealing With Mice
While some mice are kind of cute, few people want them in their homes. Mice can quickly breed and infest your home, becoming a big problem in a short time. In fact, a single female mouse can have as many as 150 babies in a year. The key to handling a potential mice situation is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place, as well as knowing how to deal with them once they're inside. Here are seven great tips for dealing with mice:
Seal Off Your Home
If you don't want mice, you need to seal off their possible entrances. Make sure your window and door screens don't have tears and replace them as needed. Also check for gaps underneath doors and old, worn-out weather stripping around doors and window frames. If you have kids, teach them to shut the door behind them immediately when they come inside instead of leaving it open. Don't forget to walk around the perimeter of your home looking for gaps or holes in the foundation that may need to be filled in.
Take Away Their Food Sources
If you can identify potential mice food sources in your home and take them away, you will remove most of their motivation for coming inside. Common food sources for mice include cat and dog food that are left out all day instead of just at meal times, and boxes of pasta, cereal, etc. that mice can get into. Investing in tightly sealing canisters for these items will go a long way toward a mice-free home.
In addition, make sure you have a trash can with a solid, well-fitted lid instead of one that is open. Take out the trash frequently instead of letting it pile up.
Declutter Your Home
Mice see clutter as attractive places to make dens, sleep, hide out of sight, or even breed. This means the less clutter you have the less appealing your house will be to mice. Declutter on a regular basis and store your excess belongings in carefully sealed storage bins.
Keep Things Spic and Span
The cleaner your house is, the less crumbs and other potential food there will be for mice. In particular, wipe down counters after meals, do dishes right away instead of letting them stack up, and keep your floors swept and mopped consistently.
Consider Getting a Cat
Obviously, mice prevention shouldn't be the only reason you adopt a cat, but if you are already considering doing so it can certainly be added to the list of benefits. Cats are excellent mice hunters, both inside and out. Just be prepared to have to deal with the dead carcasses that your cats bring to you as trophies.
Plant Mice Deterrents
Mice happen to naturally hate mint, which is something you can use to your advantage. Planting mint around the entrances to your home, or even keeping some mint plants inside can help discourage mice from hanging around. As an added bonus, your new mint plants will smell fantastic and be great to use in cooking.
Hire Professionals
If you already have mice inside, it's time to call in pros, such as Cavanaugh's Professional Termite & Pest Services. Setting traps yourself can be inefficient and lead to safety issues, especially if you have small children or pets. Plus mice breed so quickly they can get out of control faster than you can trap them. Pest control professionals know how to deal with these issues effectively and quickly. Once they get rid of your mice, you can simply follow the preceding tips to avoid future infestations.
By following these tips, you will have a nicely mouse-free home in no time.
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