Mice and other rodents look for any shelter that will keep them warm in the winter and provide a source of food. Houses of any size, whether clean or dirty, are a prime target for these little creatures. If you haven’t rodent-proofed your home, you could find yourself the victim of a rodent take-over! Once inside, mice can quickly multiply and cause expensive damages to the structure of your home.

Damages to Homes Caused by Mice

If mice get into your home, chances are you are going to experience some structural damages. Mice are known to chew through just about anything when they’re looking for materials to build their nests. They’ll even burrow into your upholstered furniture or tunnel into the insulation inside your walls and attic. If mice chew the wires in the walls, it can cause electrical fires.

What you Need to Know About Mice

After you learn these facts about mice you’ll want to get right to work mouse-proofing your home!

• Mice reproduce at a young age and will reproduce repeatedly (often more than once a month!) until they die. Females may have 8 to 10 babies in a litter.

• Mice come inside in search of shelter and food. If you have mice, you’ll probably find their nest is near cupboards and your pets’ food. Mice can eat up to 20 times per day, which means frequent bathroom breaks, and since you aren’t nice enough to provide a rodent-sized toilet, the mice are going to go wherever they get the urge.

• Mice love the night time, which means you can be kept awake with the sounds of their feet on the floor and in the walls while you’re lying in bed.

• Mice are disease carriers. They can carry and transmit salmonella, norovirus, and hantavirus.

• Mice can be found under the hood of your car at times. And maybe even inside your car. Can you imagine driving down the road only to have a mouse scurry across your legs?

How to Mouse-Proof your Home

Try a variety of the following mouse-proofing tips to prevent mice from getting or staying in your home:

Seal openings

Mice can enter your home with the smallest of openings and cracks, so use caulk to seal all cracks around walls, floors, windows, and your foundation. If you store your vehicle for any length of time during the winter months, put steel wool in exhaust pipes to keep the rodents out, obviously you will want to remove the steel wool once you are ready to use the vehicle again.

Glue traps

Use glue traps throughout your home wherever you see mouse droppings to try and catch them as they run by.

Seal food and keep everything cleaned up

Don’t provide mice with easy sources of food. Keep all food covered and sealed in your cupboards and pantry, and clean up crumbs often.

Get a cat

If you have a cat in your home, you probably won’t have many rodents. Cats are natural predators for mice and will catch them. Often, they’ll just bring the mouse to you as a reward, but at least they keep your home from being taken over by the pesty critters.

Mouse proofing your home will help prevent mice from getting in or reproducing in your home, but nothing is as fool proof as the professional pest control from Schendel Pest Services.