Have unwanted mice in your home? Then it needs to be dealt with quickly, as mice multiply quickly and can carry diseases. Within a year, they can have five to ten litters, meaning you’ll have a harder time getting rid of them permanently.
Ways to Getting Rid of Mice
To properly get rid of mice, here are six tips to guide you through the process.
1. Seal Entry Points
Making sure your house is protected against rodent infestations is the best way to prevent them from entering your home. Holes and other easy access points to the outdoors need to be sealed up immediately. Even the smallest openings can invite a mouse or two into your home. If a pencil can fit into a crack or hole, then so can a mouse. Use steel wool and caulking to seal entrance points throughout your house, including in the foundation, around vents and piping. Mice won’t be able to eat their way through this sealant method, so it’s your best defense against rodents.
2. Use Mouse Traps
Nobody wants mice running around their home or workplace; setting up mouse traps can help you with this problem. There are ways of setting up the traps properly and it’s important to follow the instructions to make sure you’re doing it right. Otherwise, your problem will continue to occur and that is the last thing you want.
Once you purchase the traps, it’s time to set them up. You will need to place bait on the traps to entice the mice to come near them. Through the right bait, they will come close enough for the trap to do its job. We’ve all seen the cartoons showing the love that mice have for cheese, however, peanut butter is actually a better option when it comes to bait. This is because they are attracted to the smell of the oils found in peanut butter and will want to come right to the source of this smell. The peanut butter will increase your chances of trapping the mouse or mice if you are dealing with more than one.
Strategize the placement of the traps as best as you can. Perhaps you hear them often in a certain area of your home or have a feeling they are coming from one place in particular. Place the traps close to those areas perpendicular to the wall, so that the trap works regardless of the direction the mice are coming from.
While it may be tempting to use poisonous bait, refrain from doing so and stick to bait that is not harmful like peanut butter. No matter how hard you try, you never know who will have access to the traps and you definitely don’t want children or pets to come across it and come in contact with the poison or worse, digest it. You also run the risk that the mice will eat the poison but won’t get trapped, meaning they’ll end up dead in another part of your home and will rot and smell. They may end up somewhere between your walls, which will really be a problem so it’s just best to avoid poisonous bait completely.
3. Bait and Poison
If you decide to use bait to lure the mice into your traps, it is best to place them in areas mice are more likely to hide. This includes under cabinets, furniture, and appliances or in dark corners. They’re more likely to take the bait if it’s not out in the open. Mice are usually tempted by bacon, peanut butter, dried fruit or chocolate. If you decide to use poison along with the bait, as mice carry diseases that can cause serious health issues for your family, keep it out of reach of children and pets.
4. Natural Methods
If you’re interested in using more humane methods to get rid of your mouse problem, then you may want to try driving them away with strong scents. Used cat litter or peppermint has been known to deter mice. Cats are natural hunters and will take pleasure in hunting any mice that cross their path within your home. Some dogs can also hunt down mice as well, such as terriers.
Also Read: The Behavior of Mice during Winter Months
5. Keep Your House Clean
While this won’t get rid of mice, having a clean home without food sitting out is less likely to attract them. Mice can survive on very little food, so any little crumbs left out is enough to satisfy them and keep them coming back for more. On top of keeping food in sealed containers and cleaning up your counters, floors, and cabinets, make sure your garbage is secured outside your house.
6. Call a Professional
Still, have a mouse problem after applying these tips? Then it’s time to call in a professional mouse exterminator. For problems that are too big for you to handle, contacting them will save you a lot of time, as exterminators will locate the source and attack the issue head-on. They know the most likely places for mice to burrow and will deal with the problem after inspecting your home. Not to mention come back to make sure the mice haven’t returned.
If you have a mouse, rodent or insect problem, then Contact Pest Control is your best solution for the mice control in Toronto. With 100% removal guaranteed, our fully licensed and insured technicians provide same-day service throughout the GTA. Go online for a free quote or call us to book an appointment.
Also Read: What You Need To Look For In Toronto Pest Control Services
Related: Easy Techniques to Get Rid of Mice