Getting rid of a mouse or rat infestation can be a struggle, especially during the spring and summer months when the rodent population peaks. Mice and rats are attracted to food, shelter, and warmth, so it’s essential to take steps to avoid attracting them. Following a few simple guidelines can help keep mice out of your home and prevent a potential infestation. Once homeowners figure out how to keep mice away they must be vigilant, as rodents are highly adaptable and can find other ways to get back in.
The good news is that there is a way to kick these rodents to the curb for good: hiring professional wildlife removal services in Oshawa. These experts have the necessary experience and tools to spot and resolve mouse issues, saving you the hassle.
How To Get Rid of Mice Entry Points
Mice can enter your home through the smallest openings — even as tiny as a quarter-inch wide. As a result, they can squeeze into foundation cracks, windowsill gaps, and holes in the siding. If you have a raised deck, they may also nest underneath, as the area is easily accessible and sheltered.
Unfortunately, the ground floor isn’t the extent of your worries, as mice often infiltrate houses through the roof. Mice love attics and will burrow in the insulation, using it to make their nests. They get in through soft, rotten roofing or outright holes, using shrubbery, trees, and creeping vines to access high places.
Vents, drainage pipes, and chimneys are also prime entrance spots for rodents. Most homeowners don’t check these locations often, so they may not notice damage that allows mice inside. In the case of chimneys, the broad opening allows in many types of wildlife looking for a place to nest.
How To Avoid Attracting Mice
Learning how to keep mice away is just as important as getting rid of them — in fact, prevention is arguably the most important step toward a mouse-free residence. Fortunately, wildlife removal experts can help.
For example, experts can identify and seal potential entry points. They can also offer advice on how to avoid attracting mice to your property.
One major mouse-attracting feature is water. Critters need to stay hydrated and easily accessible water features provide a reliable water source:
- Birth bath
- Pond
- Pool
Standing water, such as puddles from rain or sprinklers, can also attract mice, as well as insects.
Food is another significant factor, as mice prefer to nest near forage areas. Unfortunately, humans provide lots of foraging opportunities in the form of garbage, crumbs, unsecured food, and pet food. To avoid accidentally feeding pests, you should always clean up after eating, store pet food inside your home and keep your own food in plastic or glass containers. You should also place your garbage, recycling, and compost bins away from the house.
Homeowners may also accidentally create the perfect burrowing spot for mice, who love small, dark spaces. Piles of firewood, cardboard boxes, and paper make the perfect nooks and crannies for rodents to create their nests. Wildlife control professionals can identify problematic clutter and offer advice on storing items in a way that won’t attract rodents.
How To Tell If You Have a Mouse Infestation
The early days of an infestation can be quiet, but you’ll eventually notice that something isn’t quite right. It may start as strange noises in the walls at night, as mice are nocturnal. Homeowners often report scurrying, scratching, and squeaking as mice use interior wall structures to move around. The following are other common signs of an infestation:
- Droppings in cupboards, under sinks, or in drawers
- Gnaw marks on walls, cabinets, or food packaging
- A pungent odor (decay) or stale ammonia smell (urine)
- Shredded plant matter, insulation, paper, fabric, or other nesting materials
- Pets paying extra attention to certain corners or walls
If you notice any of the above, it’s time to hire mice control services in Oshawa. Professionals can verify whether droppings came from mice and use blacklights to spot footprints near suspected mouse holes.
How a Mouse Infestation Affects Your Home
Having mice in the house can cause serious structural and health problems, especially if you don’t immediately address the infestation. The longer the issue persists, the harder and more expensive it’ll be to repair the damage.
One of the biggest concerns is illness. Mice carry diseases that may pass to humans and pets:
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: A potentially fatal respiratory illness
- Typhus: Deadly disease caused by bacteria
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis: Virus affecting the nervous system
- Leptospirosis: A potentially fatal bacterial disease that can damage the liver and kidneys
The harm to your house is no less severe. Rodents’ front incisors continuously grow, prompting them to chew instinctually. Mice can gnaw through pipes and metal wires, causing leaks and fire hazards.
How To Get Rid of Mice Permanently
Why go with the professional approach? For one thing, do-it-yourself poisons and traps can’t keep up with mouse reproduction. If you take this route, you’ll need to continually set out traps, which isn’t a sustainable long-term solution.
Additionally, there’s the risk of DIY extermination techniques putting your family in harm’s way. Rodenticides are toxic to people and other animals, making them extremely dangerous. If small children or pets accidentally ingest them, the results can be fatal.
There’s also the issue of pets finding and eating poisoned mice. It usually takes a while for the poison to act, allowing rodents to spread toxins throughout your house through droppings, urine, and fur. You may be in danger even if you never see the poisoned mouse; if the rodent comes into contact with exposed food or cooking surfaces before dying, it can contaminate your meals.
Finally, no amount of poisons and traps will solve the root of the problem. They’re a reactionary approach to pest control management that doesn’t stop new mice from entering your home.
You should also consider the implications of extermination versus humane removal. Mice don’t know they’re not supposed to be inside — to them, houses are safe places with lots of food. Traps and poisons are painful ways for mice to die, and sometimes they only maim, leaving the animals to suffer. Professional, humane removal limits the harm done to wildlife, which means a healthier local ecosystem.
Always keep in mind that you have the option of calling for professional mice removal for your Oshawa home. The A+ team of professionals at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control has over two decades of experience dealing with rodent infestations. More than 200,000 homeowners have seen how to get rid of mice the Skedaddle way, so contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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