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CartHere’s How to Keep Your Home Free of Mice
Mice can cause serious damage to your home by gnawing on insulation, wiring, and even furniture. They can also carry disease and contaminate food sources. Although mice can enter your home throughout the year, they’re particularly troublesome in fall and early winter. That’s when snow and cold weather send mice looking for food and a warm place to stay. Here are some tips on how to keep these unwanted guests out of your home.
How to Tell if You’ve Got Mice
Mice will eventually make their presence known. In addition to the sounds of nighttime scuttling or seeing one streak across your kitchen floor, here are a few indicators that you’ve got mice:
Mouse droppings under sinks, at the back of cupboards, or in the corners of a room
Scratch marks around food sources, or crumbs and debris from chewed-open food packaging
Nests made from easily shredded materials in hidden spaces like suspended ceilings, wall cavities, and behind appliances
Strong ammonia-like smell of mice urine
Cats or dogs showing an unusual interest in mouse-friendly areas of the home
How to Get Rid of Mice
If you’ve determined you have mice in your home, there are several things you can do to convince them to leave on their own.
Types of Mouse Traps
If none of the above methods convince the mice to leave, it’s time to move on to traps. A mouse trap is probably the most effective way to combat a rodent problem. Many traps are reusable requiring only a wash in a light bleach solution and hot water between uses. There are, of course, disposable traps as well.
How to Keep Mice Out of Your House
If you’re working with a newly mouse-free home or you’ve never had mice and you’d like to keep it that way, here’s what you can do to keep them out:
Block entry points with sealant and use weather stripping to seal holes in siding and doorways
Cover holes with duct tape and stuff steel wool into vent openings
Keep exterior doors closed and install a screen door for warmer weather
Add or repair screening over vents, chimney openings, and any other gaps
Use dehumidifiers to keep attics, crawlspaces, and basements well-ventilated and less attractive to mice
Keep food sources securely stored and eat only at the kitchen table to avoid crumbs throughout your home
Store firewood at least six metres away from the perimeter of your home
The key to a rodent-free home is to prevent them from entering in the first place. However, if you do find yourself with a mouse problem, don’t panic. Review your mouse-removal options and choose the one that’s right for your home and best suited to the situation.
