How to Rid Your Home of a Mice Infestation
A mice infestation is no joking matter. It's not just troublesome and annoying, but can actually present health problems if not dealt with correctly. House mice are able to live in conditions that most other pests would find abhorrent. Plus, they can contaminate surfaces with their feces and eat food that is consumed by pets and humans. In addition, they can even cause structural problems. So how do you control a mice infestation?
The two most popular techniques for controlling a mice infestation include trapping and poisoning the mice. Of course, prevention is almost always your best option and something that you should definitely put a lot of thought into once you have gotten rid of the mice.
Eliminating openings in which they can enter a structure is important in prevention. It is also important to have good sanitation. Even though you might not be able to prevent mice from entering if your area is clean, they will certainly want to come in by the large numbers if your area contains a lot of left out food and spaces where they can build their nests. If you have grain or meat out, then make sure that you seal them in airtight containers so that the mice can't get into them and eat them.
Openings that are bigger than ¼ of an inch should be sealed so that mice have difficulty entering. Remember that mice are small and can make themselves even smaller. They don't require the large holes in the walls that can be seen in cartoons. You can typically plug entrances with steel wool and caulking. Also, make sure that you seal cracks and openings in water pipes, cents, and building foundations. Don't use anything that they can gnaw through, like plastic.
Traps are one of the best ways to catch mice, especially when you are dealing with a low number of them. When you use a trap, you know that the mouse has been killed and you generally don't have to use any poisonous material to catch it. You can also throw the mouse away once it has been trapped. If you use a poison and the mouse dies in the wall, you might be faced with a smell that is difficult to get rid of.
When you set traps, make sure that they are close to walls and in areas where you have noticed mouse droppings or other signs of mice activity. Use as many as you can to ensure that you catch all of the mice. However, don't set them out where children or house pets can get into them.
There are some mouse traps that don't actually kill the mice, but instead bait them and trap them so that you can dispose of them later. The problem with this method is that you need to take them far, far, away in order to ensure that they don't simply turn around and come right back inside your home.
You can also use rodenticides to kill mice. These are poisons and should not be taken lightly. You can find them in most places that sell pesticides. When purchasing these, stick with legitimate brands and resist the urge to purchase any that appear homemade.
If you have a large population of mice, then investing in a cat or dog that hunts mice might be able to help. This is particularly true if you are trying to control the mice in a barn or other outdoor area. However, it is probably not a good idea if you want to control mice inside the house.
If you have pets or small children, then you might want to consider using mice repellants. They drive them out of the house and back outdoors without using any harsh poisons that could be dangerous to your cat or child.
If you are still having trouble getting rid of the mice in your home, then calling a professional exterminator might actually be your best idea. Sometimes, repellants only drive the mice to live in other areas of your home and traps and positions might not be ideally suited to your lifestyle or beliefs. In this case, the professionals should be able to get the job done for you.