If you have noticed an occasional mouse or two scooting through your home, chances are a whole lot more of them are harbored in your walls, attic or crawl space. Once you have a few mice, they can become a huge problem if they are not eliminated effectively. Here are a few ways you can deter mice from using your home as their stomping grounds, and some ways to eliminate them for good if they become excessive in number.
Take Away Food
If you have leftovers hanging around on counter tops and you allow crumbs to build up on floors before you do a vacuuming session, your home is at risk for a mouse invasion. Eliminating any food supply will force mice to vacate to look for a new place to get nutrition. Take the time to wipe up all remnants from meals, and make sure to wrap your extras and put them in your refrigerator. Clean regularly, as mice tend to hang around messy areas.
Let Them Go Thirsty
Go through your home looking for areas where water may be present, as these spots may be allowing mice to remain hydrated while in your home. If you have any plumbing troubles where water is dripping or pooling onto floors, have them repaired to help keep mice from having an easy drinking source. Cover fountains and ponds during nighttime hours when mice are more apt to be lurking around your home's exterior.
Add A Pleasing Scent
The party will be over if you add a peppermint scent within your home, as mice detest the odor. Place a few peppermint plants in areas where you had seen mice in the past. Dip several cotton balls into peppermint oil and place them around your home to freshen the scent and upset intruders.
Seal Entryways
To help keep mice from coming inside, do an evaluation of the exterior of your home for spots that appear to be damaged. Mice can fit through holes as small as a quarter of an inch, as well as underneath doorways. Fill exterior crevices in with caulk, and use weather-stripping under and around doors and windows to help keep mice on the outside of your home.
Use Some Traps
If you can hear mice walking around in your walls and you are finding droppings throughout your home, the problem may be a bit too big for simple deterrents. Invest in some mouse traps and place them along the perimeters of rooms and behind or underneath pieces of furniture. Check the traps daily to remove any carcasses before they start to decay.
If you would rather use humane traps, mice will walk into a cube to grab a bite of bait you put inside. The door opens to let a mouse in, but will not open to let it out unless you turn the trap upside down. Bring the captured pests to a wooded area away from your home to ensure they do not make their way back to shelter.
If dealing with being around mice, whether dead or alive, is a problem for you, consider hiring a professional pest control service such as Godfather's Exterminating Inc to do the job. They will be able to administer pesticides that remove mice quickly and effectively.
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