Where do mice come from?
They often enter houses and apartments through basements or attics. Rodents use unsealed holes near pipes, cracks in baseboards, ventilation and garbage disposals. Sometimes they climb to higher floors through balconies and holes in concrete slabs, or chew their way through wood and plastic. They are also capable of digging a tunnel under the foundation of a house.
Mice also have “favorite” materials. For example, wall insulation, especially foam Mike Holmes: When the mice move in / National Post or glass wool, where they build passages and nests and reproduce.
The chances of mice appearing in residential areas increase if there is a cellar, barn or granary nearby. In the house itself, they are attracted to untidy crumbs and garbage. As soon as rodents find water and food, they are ready to settle in such a place forever.
In addition, it is worth preparing for an “invasion” if your neighbors have mice - pests like to expand the territory of their presence.
Insulation and rodents: is there a solution?
Let's be clear right away - most modern floor insulation materials really don't eat mice, but at the same time they live quietly in them. And they also build nests in soft ones.
Fun fact: Mice's teeth grow throughout their lives. Moreover, if the mouse does not constantly chew something, then these teeth will grow into its upper jaw. Therefore, gnawing is a daily need for this animal. And the mouse can even sharpen concrete walls.
Oddly enough, mice are especially often found in polystyrene foam. Moreover, they gnaw on it - but not with the goal of getting enough, but with the goal of building comfortable nests in it. And therefore, manufacturers recommend insulating walls and floors with ecowool, which is looser and creates an antiseptic environment. But mice also gnaw on it, although not so willingly.
After all, as practice shows, mice can live under the floor in ecowool, foam plastic, and almost any other insulation. Even in glass wool! However, it is worth noting that it is very difficult, almost impossible, for a mouse to chew through ordinary plywood and OSB boards. All because of the structural features of her teeth. Like slabs that have a layered structure with wood chips directed in different directions.
The secret of the survival of these animals in any conditions is their extreme unpretentiousness. That’s why they gnaw holes for themselves in anything, in a word.
How dangerous are mice?
They are capable of creating real chaos: chewing off walls, destroying food packages, ruining clothes or shoes, and more. Because of such guests, an unpleasant odor appears in the house or apartment. Moreover, mice often damage wires, which can cause a fire.
But perhaps the most dangerous thing about such a neighborhood is that rodents are carriers of more than 35 diseases. Pests can also Rodents / National Center for Healthy Housing aggravate allergic reactions and asthma if family members suffer from them.
How to understand that there are mice in the house
The main symptom is mouse droppings. In appearance, it resembles dark rice granules about 6 millimeters long. For comparison, rat droppings are about twice the size—about 12 millimeters in length.
Another clear sign of mice is chewed food boxes, dirt and strange debris on the shelves.
If one mouse runs somewhere, most likely there are several more hiding in the house. Since one rodent was able to enter the room, others probably did as well. In addition, their number is increasing very quickly.
Reasons for appearance
Why do mice get into the house? The main reason for this phenomenon is the expansion of the habitat of small rodents. As young individuals grow, animals need food more and more. Rodents begin to look for a new home. They examine places where people throw food waste and rarely visited basement floors.
When mice start looking for food, they are forced to climb up and explore the apartments, choosing suitable rooms that have enough food. Therefore, apartment owners, having discovered traces of the presence of rodents, should immediately take care of the safety of supplies . Use glass and metal containers for storage that mice cannot chew through.
Food products that are damaged by the pest should be thrown into the trash, and the bag should be immediately taken outside the home. Large stocks of groceries should be sorted after contact with a rodent; cereals should be washed and subjected to long-term heat treatment before consumption to prevent infectious diseases.
It will be easy to find a hole through which rodents get into your home. All holes should be sealed, blocking the passage for new individuals. Mice are primarily looking for food, so a home that allows them to feed freely will be a good option for them. The animals get so impudent that they literally climb into the refrigerator. Even if rodents first appear in another apartment, after the first “reconnaissance” they will move to a room with more favorable conditions. To prevent such a development of events, it is necessary to completely cut off access to food supplies.
How to get rid of mice
Find where they come from
Before you begin pest control, you need to study how they got into your home. Experts warn How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping that randomly setting traps is not the best idea.
Therefore, first you should take the time to carefully inspect the rooms, storage rooms and garage, if you have one. You need to try to find all the places where mice can build nests.
Set traps
The best way to quickly get rid of mice is to use traps and special baits. They must be placed in the most vulnerable places: along walls and behind containers with garbage.
It is worth noting that all traps, except sticky tapes, will require bait. Suitable food items include peanut butter, chocolate, cheese, birdseed, or nuts.
Mousetraps
This is the most popular, time-tested and effective way to get rid of mice. There are different types of mousetraps: tunnel, cage, alligator and many others.
These devices are easy to use, but they can be dangerous for family members and pets. Among the disadvantages is also the need to constantly check the functionality of the structure, prepare bait, and then also get rid of the rodent caught in the trap.
Under no circumstances should you touch the mouse after it is in the mousetrap. You should wear rubber gloves and spray disinfectant on the rodent and the area where it is located. Then put the mouse in a sealed plastic bag, close it tightly, place it in another bag and throw it away. And then thoroughly wash your gloved hands with soap, treat them with a disinfectant and get rid of the gloves. At the end, you need to wash your hands again and use an antiseptic.
Electrical traps
They lure mice and shock them. When the trap is triggered, a special indicator lights up. Such devices are safe for people and pets, who simply cannot get into them.
But mice caught in such a trap have practically no chance - the electronic circuit is closed as soon as the rodent is inside. This is a relatively humane method of control, since the victim dies instantly from the discharge, and you can get rid of mice without even touching them.
The main disadvantage here is the high price, compared to other types of traps. However, if effectiveness is more important than cost, this control method would be a good choice.
Sticky traps
They consist of a special backing and non-drying glue. Rodents adhere to the structure and remain in place until they are released or killed.
Sticky traps are cheap and easy to use. At the same time, they are disposable, which is rather a minus. Sometimes the substrates are very light, so the mouse can drag them into hiding. In addition, this method is not suitable for combating large numbers of rodents or if there are pets in the house.
After the trap works, you need to put on gloves, place the pest along with the sticky backing in some deep container and throw it away.
If you want to free the mouse, after transferring it to the container, you can carefully cover the rodent's head with a towel to calm it down, and hold it by the back until you can peel it off. To do this, you need to pour vegetable oil on the place where the animal is stuck. After getting rid of the trap, you should carefully remove excess oil from the rodent, pour some water into it and cover the container with a towel. When the rodent recovers from shock, you can release it into the wild.
live traps
These are cages with a specially designed door that closes as soon as the mouse gets inside. This is a humane, simple and inexpensive way to control rodents.
The main disadvantages are that you need to spend time on proper installation, and after catching the pest, you need to decide what to do with it. If you need to get rid of mice in a safe and bloodless way, the caught rodent can be taken further into the forest and released.
Poisons
There are two main types of poison for mice: acute and chronic. The first include, for example, zinc phosphide and ratsid. They cause symptoms from the first hour of consumption and lead to death after a single use. The second type of poison, such as fentolacin or warfarin, acts gradually.
Toxic substances are an effective and cheap, but not the most humane and convenient way to control pests. In addition, poisons pose a danger to people and pets. In addition, mice rarely die immediately, on the spot. They can climb into walls, behind furniture and even inside it, as indicated by a characteristic smell. There is also a chance that the poison will spread throughout the house, which means the danger to family members will increase significantly.
Call a specialist
When all possible methods have been tried, but mice continue to reign in the apartment, it is worth calling professionals for help. You can ask friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Perhaps they have already encountered a similar problem and know where best to turn.
How to protect your home from mice
Once your home is finally rodent free, it's important to make sure they don't come back. This can be done in several ways.
Use sealant and steel wool
Unfortunately, mice have ways of getting into the house through the smallest holes and even making them even larger by gnawing. However, sealant and “steel wool” are too tough for these pests. Experts advise How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping to pay special attention to the places where the pipes pass, as well as to the floor in the basement along the walls, ventilation and fireplace, if there is one.
Reduce the number of bushes near the house
Shrubs and piles of branches attract mice. Therefore, it is worth regularly trimming the green spaces near the house and maintaining order on the site. Mice love to build nests in piles of things, so it is better to keep firewood at least 6 meters from human habitation.
Make your home uninhabitable for mice
Kitchen shelves strewn with crumbs and leftover food are a real paradise for rodents, especially during the cold season. You need to regularly wipe the inside surfaces of cabinets and store food in airtight containers. The same goes for pet food: don’t leave it in a bowl all day.
Mice also love to chew paper, so it's important to clean out cabinets regularly and throw away any unwanted cellulose packaging right away.
Close the trash can tightly
Garbage attracts mice as well as insects and other pests. To protect against rodents, it is better to choose a waste container with an airtight lid or seal it tightly using rubber cords.
Try organic oils
Experts emphasize How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping that home remedies are not the best way to get rid of rodents. Still, it's worth a try.
Mice are repelled by the smells of clove and peppermint esters. You can soak cotton pads in one of these oils and leave them in areas that attract mice, such as drawers and cabinets in the kitchen.
Traditional methods
Before laying the floors, you can add various slag, ash, tobacco dust, mint or dry wormwood to the insulation. Rats cannot stand the smell of these substances. When laying the foundation, it is recommended to sprinkle broken glass into the cement. When the rats gnaw on it, they will certainly cut their gums and mouth on the glass, and are unlikely to continue drilling work.
When you are leaving somewhere and the house is left unattended for a long time, you can hang bunches of dried mint or wormwood around the perimeter of each room in each corner. Small branches can also be placed near the baseboards on the floor.
Rats do not like the smell of burnt fur . Especially your own. But if it is not possible to find tufts of rat fur, you can take any, set it on fire and fumigate the room. But remember the fire safety rules . Do not accidentally drop smoldering wool on the floor or carpet. Use a glass jar for this. If you have dead rats, you can burn them. There will be an unpleasant smell for some time, but soon it will disappear and you can live in peace. The rats won't come back anymore.
For the same purpose, block houses are treated with concentrated solutions of lime or borax. Rats also try to avoid these odors.
Simple wormwood repels rats and mice
