When fall arrives, homeowners have to contend with colder weather and falling leaves. You also face a greater possibility of mice living in your home. As with all rodents, mice seek warmth, shelter and a food source this time of year. Your home’s attic, clutter and kitchen look like the perfect spots!
During the cold season, what can you do to keep mice out?
1. Seal Up Cracks and Holes
The average mouse measures just 2.5 inches long and can slip through an opening about the size of a quarter. Unfortunately, you have more to worry about than these small openings. What other ways could mice enter your home?
- Holes in your window or door screens
- Gaps around doors and windows
- Cracks in your foundation
- Venting
- Where phone, cable or gas lines pass into your home
Now is the time to assess your property’s exterior for these holes, cracks and gaps. At the very least, you can caulk over these openings. However, as rodents are known to chew through caulk, we recommend taking it a step further with wire mesh and cement. Also be sure to repair or replace your window and patio door screens, add screens to any chimneys and vents and equip all exterior doors with sweeps at the base.
2. Address Moisture
Along with food, mice are after water. Even if your kitchen and bathroom sinks don’t drip, your home could still be harboring moisture through leaking plumbing or clogs causing backups. Also keep your basement dry and ventilated to cut down on any moisture accumulation.
3. Watch Out for Food Sources
Ensure everything in your kitchen gets stored in sealed, air-tight containers. Check any bags or boxes for rips and tears before you store them in your cabinets. Along with these points, never leave food out – not even in the trash – and be sure to sweep up, vacuum or mop away any crumbs, spills and residue.
However, your kitchen is just one source for food. Outdoors, you may have a birdfeeder with seeds and nuts or a garbage can deer or raccoons knock over that could attract mice. As such, remove all food sources and keep your trash contained so these pests don’t congregate in your yard.
4. Keep Clutter Under Control
Mice like to create nests. To make one, they may tear apart paper, fabrics and other material. For this reason, keep your home’s clutter under control. That may entail keeping living spaces tidy or properly storing old clothing and magazines. Otherwise, your storage area could be home to a mice infestation! In addition to nesting and warmth, items like glue and leather turn into food sources.
5. Don’t Forget the Outdoors
While you focus on your home’s interior and exterior, make sure to look at your yard and grounds. A handful of landscaping issues could be attracting pests, including:
- Tree limbs that extend right to your home’s roof or windows.
- Vines that crawl up the side of your home.
- Wood kept in piles near the side of the house or on the deck.
- Overgrown areas of tall grasses and shrubs.
Even when you trim the grass, clean up the clutter and seal entry points, you can still find yourself with a mouse infestation. Rather than experimenting with over-the-counter sprays and traps, work with Eliminate ‘Em’s professional exterminators to get the problem under control. To make an appointment, give us a call today.
