It can be easy to ignore signs of a house mouse infestation or think you’re dealing with it on your own, but many homeowners are unaware of how smart, social, and good at hiding these pests truly are. House mice live in social hierarchies that can include large numbers that remain unseen in your wall voids, cabinets, and hard-to-reach places. Not only is the infestation possibly larger than you think, but do-it-yourself traps are not likely to be effective.
Identifying House Mice & Their Behavior
House mice have lived alongside people, growing dependent on available food and shelter, since the first time mankind set down roots and started to grow their cities. They’ve evolved and adapted with us, and some of their behaviors are evidence of that.
House mice have a dusty gray coat with a cream-colored belly, pointed muzzle, and large ears. They grow up to 3 3/4 inches long with a tail up to four inches in length. Inside homes, mice will eat anything but have a preference for grain-based products.
Signs of infestation include droppings up to ¼ of an inch in length, greasy rub marks on walls and around gnawed wood, burrows and nests made of materials like fabric or insulation, and damaged food goods.
These tiny pests are cute but far from harmless. House mice carry fleas and ticks, can cause salmonella and rat-bite fever, and can worsen asthma with their urine droplets, which is why sticky traps are not a safe Evansville pest control method. Females can produce up to 35 young each year resulting in populations that quickly grow out of control.
How To Prevent A House Mouse Infestation
Mice are attracted to Evansville homes for the same reason as any pest: available food, water, and shelter. Limiting these attractive resources and the means through which mice can enter your home is the best means of prevention.
- Seal any cracks and holes around the exterior of the home with silicon-based caulk. Mice can fit through holes as small as a dime. Make sure screens don’t have any holes and that windows and doors completely seal.
- Don’t leave doors standing open, especially from the garage leading into the home.
- Get rid of anything causing standing water. Fix leaking pipes and landscaping issues where it may collect.
- Don’t store trash near the home, and make sure indoor and outdoor trash are regularly cleaned and tightly covered.
- Keep woodpiles and other convenient hiding places stored at least twenty feet away from the home.
- Store food in sealed glass or metal containers.
- Reduce clutter where mice could hide or use materials for nesting.
- Practice good sanitation by not leaving dirty dishes in the sink, sanitizing surfaces, cleaning spills immediately (indoors and out), and vacuuming regularly.
Maintaining a clean home free of possible entry points should take care of much of the house mouse worries, but if you fear an infestation, don’t rely on do-it-yourself methods. Not only will house mice avoid human-scented traps, but they will also learn from traps that managed to catch any in the past and can avoid snap traps with quick reflexes. If these methods are ever effective, they aren’t going to be in the long term.
Action Pest Control Is Your Best Bet For Long-Term Prevention & Control
If you’re having trouble prepping your home to keep out pests, Action Pest Control can help. Not only can we inspect and treat risks around your home, but we can also provide quick and effective emergency care, and come back with regular visits to keep your home pest-free. With three tailored pest control plans, you can choose which level of protection is right for you. Contact us today to get started with our rodent control service.