How to Deal with House Mice Infestations
Besides mice being annoying, the creatures can be hazardous to your health. House mice typically thrive under a wide range of conditions. Due to their secretive and cautious nature, they can quickly gain entry into homes.
Even though they rarely bite, House mice tend to mark territories with their urine, contaminating food, or cause diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria to humans. Due to their sporadic eating habits, mice build nests near food sources and damage a lot of property. They have a compulsive need to gnaw, which causes severe damage to household appliances like gas pipes, electric cables, and furniture. In the long haul, failing to control house mice leads to severe mice infestation, which will cost you professional extermination services.
How do I get rid of house mice?
As mice have small bodies, they quickly get through tight spaces and cracks as little as a quarter an inch. Knowing the house mice, their shelters, and locations will help you get rid of them. Their fecal pellets and potential food thievery are apparent to give away to their whereabouts. Once you are familiar with their locations, you could try any of the following ways to get rid of them;
Get a cat
Cats have worked as the world’s exterminators for plenty of years, not just by eating mice but by keeping them away. They rub up against things to leave their scents as a means of marking territory to scare rodents away. When cats are put in place, they control the mice population thanks to their natural hunting instincts.
Seal up possible entries
To prevent more house mice from getting into your home, close up all holes using rodent proofing materials. Remember to keep an emphasis on windows doors and vents sealing entry areas with quick-drying cement.
Natural remedies
Several scents have been effective in keeping mice way since they have a strong sense of smell. You can soak pieces of cotton in peppermint oil and put them in the mice-infested areas. Strong scents like peppermint oil, mint, cloves, and cayenne pepper strongly repel mice. Ammonia also works wonders; that is, if you can stand the smell.
Use of mouse traps
You can place mouse traps in areas infested by the mouse. Their obvious clues; shredded paper and cloth, dropping, gnawed items, and urine stains are the perfect areas to lay traps. You can find these traps at the garden or sometimes grocery stores, but if you are feeling creative, you can make your own! Use of attractive bait on the traps such as bacon, dried foods, and nuts will attract house mice to your lure.
Preventing mice infestation
Getting rid of mice infestation is not just enough to control a mice infestation. Prevention is paramount to avoid future infestation and better than cure. While proofing entry is a step to prevent mice infestation, other measures are necessary. They include:
Eliminating outdoor access
Trim hanging trees that give mice access to hop on your roof. If you prune your trees, mice will not be able to hide.
Practice cleanliness and proper hygiene
Avoid leaving food to sit out around the house as mice get attracted to food crumbs and leftovers. Discard your leftover food in rodent-proof bins and well-secured garbage cans. Be sure to clean dirty dishes immediately after use.
Conclusion
House mice, if not under control, pose serious health harm to you and your home. Detecting mice, rodent proofing possible entries, and practicing hygiene will help you keep mice infestation at bay. If you have mice infesting your home, seek professional advice on the best means to control mice.
