How To Get Rid Of Mice From Your Home
No matter how well built your house is, mice will invade if you are careless about mouse-proofing actions. The tiny monsters will find their way for a new habitat before the winter arrives. They may try old pipes, chimney holes, window panes, or even passive vents for invasion.
Mice not only gnaw necessary goods but also can spread potential diseases like the plague or spread viruses like Hantavirus. Hantavirus can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal dysfunctions. Other than that, mice can be the prime reason for food poisoning in your residence.
As if that wasn’t enough, mice can be a serious fire hazard for your home as they chew electrical wiring in the walls. Mice can also gnaw important papers and put you in deep trouble. Let’s not forget the nightmare it is to sleep with mice crawling around in the attic above your roof There are hundreds of more cases where mice can make your life a misery.
How To Tell You Have Mice Invasion
There are enough signs to tell whether you have mice invasion or not. Some of these signs include-
1. Mice Droppings and Urine
You will find mice dropping and urine in your residence. In most cases mice droppings are dull and grayish in color and long and spindle in shape. Besides, mice urine has a distinctive musky ammonium smell. The dried urine forms a bluish-white color under fluorescent light.
2. Look For Gnawed Items
You will find chewed items in all corners of the house when there is mice infestation. Mice have a tendency to shred any items like clothes, paper, foams to help create their nest.
3. Use Talc or Flour to Find Tiny Footprints
To understand mice 'presence, you can spread talc or flour in areas like kitchen, attic, or garage. If you find tiny footprints and foul smell then this is a clear sign of rodent invasion.
Keep Mice Out of Your Home, Kitchen, and Garage
To get rid of mice invasion, you can follow some simple tips and save your residence from these tiny monsters.
1. Set A Mouse Trap
For centuries, mousetraps have been doing the business to help fight rodents. To win the battle of man vs. mice you must know how to set a mouse trap. Pick your mouse trap and bait it with cheese, meat, or honey. Now, place the trap in the most vulnerable places and wait patiently. To make the trap more effective, wear gloves so that you don’t spread your scent on that trap as mice have a very keen sense of smell..
2. Seal all openings
Mice can squeeze through any tiny openings as small as the size of a coin. Experts say they need an opening sized one-fourth of an inch. Other than that, mice can climb any rough surfaces and jump up to 18 inches. So, you need to seal every opening to prevent mouse inflow.
Look for leftover old pipes and chimney holes as the primary source of rodent invasion. Other than that rooftop air ducts, loose window panes, and passive vents can help mice to invade your home. Make sure you either seal them completely or put iron mesh on openings where ventilation is required.
3. Minimize Outdoor Habitats
Fallen leaves in autumn can pile up quickly. This helps rodents to camouflage and hide in dark and moist habitats. Also, deep bushes and unclean gardens can help rodents to hide in a natural territory.
Other than that, woodpiles create a dark and moist environment- a perfect condition to thrive rodents. For that, put wood piles at least 12 feet away from home and 3 feet above the ground.
The most attractive zone for mice is the garbage can. The leftover foods, unrinsed juice bottles, and unwashed cans of food items can provide mice a perfect opportunity to flourish. Make sure you put garbage in a trash bag and seal it tightly before you throw it away. Also, close the lid in trash bins wherever it's possible.
4. Secure Food Sources
Pet food, bird food, snacks, and leftover fruits in the kitchen and backyard are like mice nirvana. To fight these small enemies, you should clean containers after meals and store foods in containers or in plastic bags. Foods in Rubbermaid tubs generally help to keep mice away. For pantry items like cereals and beans use airtight canisters.
5. Use Natural Goods
You can soak cotton wool in peppermint oil and leave it on every opening and corners of the house which is vulnerable to mice invasion. Furthermore, you can try cloves and mint packed in cheesecloth and place it in most vulnerable places like the kitchen or garage. Both options are effective and you can try them both simultaneously.
6. Try Cats as Natural Predator
One of the best uses of cats is using it as a natural predator for mice. Some cats also kill mice for their enjoyment. On both occasions, reward the kitty with treats and praise when they do kill mice.Other than that, cat urine is a great deterrent for mice. Once they smell it, they will run away before planning to invade your house.
7. Try Modern Technology
To fight rodent disturbance, you can use modern technology such as Victor Ultra PestChaser. This machine emits a high-frequency ultrasonic sound which is only audible to rodents but not for humans.
The machine is simple and easy to use. Just start with batteries and insert high-protein bait such as peanut butter or cheese on your trap. Now place it in locations like an attic or basement to catch mice. Once the mice step on the trap, it turns on to give continuous shock for two minutes. The shock wave will kill the mice and you can then discard the dead mice. Using this technique is effective to get rodent proofing attic, but remember to remove the dead mice every day. Otherwise, it will create another contamination.
8. Hire Professionals
If mice infestation reaches beyond your personal attempts of eradication, then you may require professional service to control pests in your residence. Before hiring professionals, see their ratings of previous work and reputation in the local community. Also, ask for their license for credentials. Most pest control services are not cheap. So, do some research before you hire one.
Final Verdict
Mice infestation can be a major nuisance and a nightmare for households.. Follow the above-listed tips to make your house mice free and a much better place to live.
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