There are many benefits of using mulch in your garden, but it could also have some unwanted effects. For example, it could attract mice to your yard. From there, they could get into your house and cause an infestation that would require professional mice removal in Niagara to resolve. Here are some reasons mulch might be attractive to mice and how to prevent mice on your property if you cannot avoid using it.
What Is Mulch, and Why Are Mice Attracted to It?
Mulch consists of organic matter such as straw, leaves, or wood chips. When spread in flowerbeds or around trees, it helps to retain moisture and prevent weed growth. As mulch breaks down, it adds nutrients to the soil. On the other hand, mulch provides cover in which mice can hide. This makes it easier for them to sneak around your yard looking for food.
What Problems Might Occur From Mice Living in Your Mulch?
With mulch to hide in, mice may be present on your property without you realizing it. They could eat your garden plants and contaminate your soil with their excrement. Mice have been known to eat the bark of trees, and if they remove enough bark, the tree may not survive.
Not only that, but once the mice are in your yard, it may not take them long to figure out how to get into your house. From cracks in the foundation to gaps around windows to holes through which utility lines run, there are a number of potential entry points around your home, and because mice are very small and have the ability to compress their bodies, they may be able to fit through holes you didn’t realize they could. Mice are also good climbers and can climb to reach an entry point that is well above ground.
Once the mice are in your home, they could contaminate your living space, especially your food storage and preparation areas. They could destroy clothing and linens trying to collect nesting material and gnaw on furniture to file down their front teeth as they keep growing. Mice have also been known to chew on electrical wiring, potentially causing outages and posing a fire risk.
What Can You Do To Keep Mice Out of Your Yard?
Because of all the benefits that mulch has to offer gardeners, it may not be practical to avoid using it in your garden. If you have to use mulch, try to be judicious with it. Don’t use more mulch than you actually need. Instead, try to keep the layer as thin as possible. When the mulch is no longer needed, clear it away. Keep your yard clean and tidy as much as possible. Clean up any old plant materials or debris, including anything that could serve as food or shelter for a mouse.
If you use mulch in your yard, try to keep it as far away from the house if possible. A mouse that finds hiding places close to the house is more likely to end up inside it sooner or later, especially when the weather turns colder and food sources outside become more scarce.
Some gardeners suggest that you should grow certain strong-smelling plants in your garden to deter mice, such as lavender or mint. There is little evidence of these plants being effective at keeping mice in your garden, but there is no harm in planting them anyway. Even if they do not keep mice out, you can find other uses for them.
Call Skedaddle for Mice Removal in Niagara
While it is preferable to keep mice out of your property, it is not always possible. Once they find what they want, they can be very persistent in pursuing it. Skedaddle’s trained technicians can remove the mice humanely from your property.
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