With the end of cold weather and winter in sight, and with periods of unseasonably warm weather, there have been an increased reports of mice finding their way into homes in search of food and comfortable shelter. These small uninvited intruders are showing up in basements, kitchens, cupboards, food storage areas, bathrooms and garages.
Experts will tell you that the intruders include both the common house mouse and the deer mouse. Usually the deer mouse can be found living far away from humans, but with recent unusual weather patterns and doors and windows being left open on occasion, people are quickly finding that mice are making their way inside.
In addition, because mice are most active at night, most mice can roam undetected throughout a house. If you find yourself to be a light sleeper, you may be “lucky” enough to hear their scratching and rustling.
When you start seeing these rodents around in the daytime, it may indicate you already have several mice in the house. Unfortunately mice have a very high reproductive rate and within a matter of months, a pair of mice can produce several litters. Mice are capable of producing six to eight babies in each litter. Worse is that these litters can also start producing mice within 2 months of birth.
Mice are nibblers, and they will eat a wide range of foods, but prefer high fat food and sugars including chocolate, bacon, butter and nuts. Not surprisingly. cat and dog food are also favorites of mice. Mice get most of the water they need from the food they eat. You would be surprised how much structural damage mice can cause with their chewing.
Mice also are constantly urinating and defecating where ever they live. You will easily know that mice are nearby because of the presence of their droppings and the musky smell of urine coming from cupboards or drawers.
So, many people ask, “what’s the best way to control mice in the house?” The answer is to keep them from getting in at all. Make sure to seal all holes and openings inside the house larger than one-quarter inch. Use heavy materials such as heavy gauge hardware cloth, concrete mortar, or even sheet metal. Beware of claims about devices that make high-pitched noises or produce electromagnetic fields to deter mice. Experts will say that in their experience, these devices don’t work.
Make any food in the house as inaccessible as possible. It’s smart to store bulk foods in rodent-proof containers, and make sure any spilled food or crumbs are cleaned up right away. Don’t leave pet food out.
We all know that mice can carry diseases in addition to the other damage they cause. For that reason, its good to remove them from the house as quickly as possible once they are trapped. In most cases, mice can be easily caught using glue or wooden snap traps. Because they are adept at removing bait from single-trigger snap traps, consider using traps the have expanded or enlarged trigger platforms. Do not use rodenticides (poisons) to control mice in homes. Mice that feed on poison baits may die in the home, and as they start to decay, the resulting odor may cause additional problems.
Did you know that mice have poor eyesight, but excellent senses of touch and smell? That’s why they tend to travel close to walls and other objects. Therefore, traps should be set close to walls where mouse activity is likely. In most cases, plan on setting at least six or more traps in the house.
But if you’d like a non-violent alternative to traps, then stop them from ever getting inside at the point of entry like the open corner post found at the bottom outside corners on all vinyl sided homes. Not only will mice use that corner post as an entrance, but also bees, wasps, hornets, snakes, small squirrels, and other rodents. Use the Kritter Caps® solution to close this “door” and entry way into your attic/cellar.
Order your easy-to-install Kritter Caps® by clicking this link.
