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Everyone worries about hearing that noise during the night – the pitter-patter and scraping inside your walls that tell you a mouse invasion is happening. Mice are dangerous pests to have in your home. Not only do they contaminate your food and dirty your home their droppings, but they also spread dangerous diseases and introduce other pests, equally as harmful, to your property. Mice are hard to get rid of on your own. The best methods for fighting them are to learn how to spot an infestation, know where they’re coming from, and know who to call when you need help.
How To Identify A Mouse Infestation
There are two types of mice most commonly seen in Vail, Colorado: deer mice and house mice. The key difference between these two is where they tend to reside. Deer mice prefer to stay outdoors while house mice (obviously) prefer living in houses. If your mouse infestation is localized within your home, it’s likely that you have house mice.
Signs of house mice in your home include mouse droppings along baseboards, contaminated or chewed-through food items, scratching and scraping sounds inside your walls, and the actual mice themselves. They tend to scavenge in areas with sources of food and water, like kitchens and bathrooms. However, they often nest in areas that go undisturbed for long periods of time such as basements, attics, unused closets, unopened drawers, and storage areas.
Deer mice operate in a similar manner but instead take residence in undisturbed outdoor locations, like old sheds, garages, and clutter piles. Their food sources include natural food found in the wild and also containers of grain and feed that they can access. Although rare, deer mice can also enter homes and hide in basements, crawlspaces, and attics.
How Do Mice Invade My Home And How do I Prevent Them?
Mice typically enter your home through small openings around the house. They can slip through cracks in the exterior walls, drop down through chimney openings, climb through vents, slip under doors, and even go through windows. Once they’re inside, they’ll find an undisturbed location, set up a nest, and start breeding. Mice reproduce very quickly. A single pair of mice can produce several litters of multiple pups, leading to a population explosion.
To prevent mice from getting into your home in the first place, make sure to seal up any cracks and openings. You can use caulk to seal any cracks and other small openings, such as window/door frames and utility pipe openings. Keeping your home clean and storing food in airtight plastic containers in hard-to-reach locations will also discourage mice from scavenging around your home.
Reducing clutter outside helps as well. Seal up any feed or grains you leave outside, regularly mow and trim your yard, and ensure leaks are sealed and gutters are working. Clean out any storage spaces annually to locate and remove mice nests and prevent future mice from getting in.
When handling anything involving mice (droppings, the mice themselves, their nests) make sure to use proper protection. Mice spread dangerous diseases, like Hantavirus pulmonary disease, so proper care needs to be taken when dealing with them. Latex gloves and surgical masks are highly recommended.
Best Solution To Eliminating A Mouse Infestation
Laying out traps or having a cat won’t necessarily get rid of mice in your home. Mice are incredibly resilient and sneaky, so getting rid of them is difficult. And DIY solutions tend to be dangerous to both children and pets. Instead, call RAM Pest Control to tackle your mouse infestation. Our professional technicians are experts at identifying, eliminating, and preventing mice infestations. We’ll make sure your home is mouse free!
