Living with mice in your house is not just unsettling but unhealthy as well. The mice can spread several diseases to you and your family members and affect your home’s structure by chewing into walls, electrical wiring, or insulation. Professional Pest Control Services in Lansing Michigan explain how you can identify and get rid of a mice infestation in your home:
Identifying a Mouse Infestation
Mice and rats control in Michigan begins with determining whether you have an infestation. While you may not always see mice in your home, there are a few clues that indicate you may have a mice infestation:
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Mouse droppings looking like small, dark brown or black grains of rice
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Mice nests made from insulation, paper, or relatively soft materials
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Disturbed or chewed insulation
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Scratched, chewed, or gnawed ducts or baseboards
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Squeaking or scurrying sounds in the house
Ways to Get Rid of Mice from Your Home
Try as much as you may; sometimes, you cannot avoid a mice infestation in your home. Listed below are a few tips to get rid of the infestation:
Remove All Entry Points
Eliminating entry points for mice in your home can be an effective way of keeping them out or preventing an infestation from expanding. This can be a little challenging as the mice can squeeze themselves in even the smallest of openings. Seal any cracks in your foundations, walls, vents, or utility pipes. You can stuff steel wool in these openings or caulk them to prevent the mice from coming in. Avoid rubber, plastic, or wood, as the mice will be easily able to gnaw at these materials and enter. You can also use weather stripping to seal window and door gaps and ensure the sweep on your door creates a seal against its threshold when closed.
Use Mouse Traps
Mouse traps can be another effective way of eliminating mice from your home. You can use the classic wooden snap traps for light to moderate populations. In some cases, however, you may have to lay multiple traps to capture one mouse.
Pick the Right Bait for the Mouse Traps
You must pick the right bait for your trap to attract the mice. You could use whatever food the mice have been eating in your home. Common bait options include peanut butter, chocolate, dried fruit, oatmeal, or hazelnut spread. Remember to replace the bait every two days. If the food doesn’t trick, you can use nesting material like feathers or cotton balls.
Place the Mouse Traps in the Right Place
Where you place the mouse trap is critical to getting rid of the mice from your home effectively. Mice typically don’t travel more than 30 feet from nesting areas and food sources. Ensure you place the traps wherever you see the signs of the mice. Change the trap locations every couple of days. Unlike rats, mice are naturally curious. So, they will not avoid your traps. However, if you use the same bait and type of trap again and again, they will learn and change their movement and behavior and try to avoid these traps.
Ensure You Keep the Surroundings Clean
Mice can live on just three to four grams of food per day. So, even a few crumbs of food will ensure they stay put in your house. Vacuum your floors regularly and wipe down your counters. This way, you will eliminate any food residue or crumbs and cut the mice’s access to food sources. If possible, store your food in airtight or glass jars and keep your garbage bins secure. Eliminating food sources by keeping your surroundings clean will ensure the mice infestation doesn’t grow.
Hire a Professional Pest Control Company
Finally, if none of the above methods work, hire a professional pest control company like Patriot Pest Control. They have been in the business for several years and can help you eliminate the mice from your home. They offer industry-leading solutions and use safe techniques to eliminate mice and other pests from your home.
Tips to Prevent a Mouse Infestation
While following the steps mentioned above may help you eliminate mice from your home, the tips provided below can help you prevent an infestation in the future:
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Check the inside and outside of your home to spot any areas where mice can get in and cover them
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Fill holes in your walls with steel wool, quick-drying cement, or wire mesh. These materials are not very easy for the mice to chew through.
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Sweep and vacuum your home regularly to keep the floors and other parts of your home free of crumbs and other food sources
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Ensure you wipe your counters and tables daily to remove any food residue
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Store pet food and your food in airtight containers to prevent the mice from chewing their way through the plastic bags.
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Keep your trash bags in closed trash cans both outdoors and indoors
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Ensure your yard is clean and free of any unpicked vegetables or fallen fruits
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Trim back your shrubs, tree branches, and flowers to at least 18 inches away from your home.
While it can be challenging to eliminate mice from your home, it is not impossible. If trying to remove the mice yourself doesn’t work, you can hire a professional company to help you with the task. In addition, ensuring you keep your home and its surroundings clean and secure can help you prevent another infestation in the future.
