Do you have a mouse in your house? Chances are it’s probably not just one! These little critters are small but mighty and move in packs, which means if you see one mouse, you probably have a mice infestation. Although mice can flourish in the coldest conditions, they usually survive cold winter weather by moving into our homes.
Why do you have a mouse in your house?
Mice are warm-blooded, which means that they look for shelter from winter’s cold as soon as the weather starts to cool in the fall. Houses, barns or commercial buildings, really anything that offers warmth and shelter make a fine winter home. Generally, you end up with a mouse in your house because they search diligently until they find an opening. And, because it just takes an opening the size of your pinky finger for a mouse to gain entry, they end up in homes around New England during the winter. Additionally, rats only need an opening the size of your thumb to gain entry! As a result, mice (and other rodents) squeeze through tiny openings in foundations, ventilation stacks, or siding to enter your home.
And, unfortunately, once they find their way in, they’ll scour for any food that they can find. Their sharp teeth can easily tear through packaging. Plus, mice are also dirty little things as they leave trails of feces wherever they crawl. So, wherever you notice their black little rice sized feces, in at least twice as many areas is their unseen (detectable by black light) urine. It’s gross! If you see a mouse in the house, then look for signs of a larger mice infestation, such as:
- Scratching or shrill squeaking
- Sounds of scampering
- Droppings in the kitchen
- Tracks left in dusty areas
- Gnaw marks on furniture, walls or boxes
And all of this means, you need to work with a professional rodent control team to get ride of a mouse in your house.
How to get rid of mice in your house?
These little critters can sometimes scare the pants off of people who get a glimpse of them. If nothing is done about removing them, they will hunt for food in your house constantly to support their families. A female mouse can breed up to 10 times in her lifetime of 10-12 months and produce litters of 5-6 babies per litter. The result of a male and female mouse reproducing continues by their offspring. And, those offspring reproduce, which means, without remediation, once a family of mice enter your home, they can actually reach in the thousands over time! These ravenous creatures will search for grains (think breakfast cereal, flour, oatmeal) or anything left out on the counter, unsealed or in a paper container (more nest material).
To encourage mice to settle elsewhere, you remove the welcome mat. Not literally, but there are ways to prevent them from entering your home. For example, caulking doors, windows, utility cable entries, and foundation cracks provides the perfect place to start. Additionally, finding and addressing the access points on upper floors of the house, is essential as well. After all, mice can climb just about anything, so close any opening to get rid of mice in your house.
The good news is that the professionals at Eliminate ‘Em know exactly where to look for points of entry and how to remove the mice in your house. It’s very important that you act immediately so a mice infestation doesn’t become a bigger problem, because it will.
If you have questions about mouse removal or need help removing them now, give us a call and we’ll ELIMINATE ‘EM ! 1-866-802-7378 (7378)
