Mice and Rats

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 After a long hot summer, the majority of people welcome the cool breezes and temperature drops of fall and even winter. However, with these new lows comes the chance of some unwelcome houseguests. That’s because mice might seek shelter in your warm and cozy home once the weather gets cold. 

When mice move into your home, they’re looking for accessible shelter that is in close proximity to a source of air flow and a supply of food. The following nooks and crannies can be especially attractive to mice:

1. Attics
2. Walls
3. Crawl spaces
4. Basements
5. The areas behind cabinets
6. Air ducts or venting systems
7. Insulation (Mice have been known to cause expensive messes by nesting in insulation.)

And while you may never see a mouse, you might see indications that one or many are living in your home. These signs include droppings, urine, disturbed insulation, nests made of paper or other materials found in your home and chewed or gnawed ducts.

However, other creatures can also leave some of these surprises behind, so it’s best to have trained pest control technicians, like those who work with Terminix®, evaluate the problem for you.

Mice are nocturnal, which means you’re probably not going to see or hear them during daylight hours unless they’re really desperate for food or water. You may also see them during daylight if you have disturbed their nest or the population is really large and they are competing for a nesting site.

So, when do mice come out of hiding? At night, of course! Because mice are active after the sun goes down, it’s possible that you may never see them at all … but you might hear them squeaking and scrambling in your walls.

Oh, and mice don’t hibernate, meaning they’ll be running around while you’re snugly tucked into bed on a cold winter’s night.

Mice are breeding machines, which means it can be a massive headache to try to get a handle on the problem using DIY methods. 

Prevention is key in this situation, as avoiding an infestation in the first place means you won’t have to deal with an issue down the road. Here are some preventative measures you can take to help avoid a mouse infestation:

1. Inspect the perimeter of your home and seal any holes or cracks larger than one-fourth of an inch.
2. Trim ivy and tree branches away from your house to help reduce easy access.
3. Store woodpiles or stacks of debris well away from your house to help eliminate potential shelters.
4. Make sure doors seal thoroughly and install weather stripping at the bottom.
5. Keep food items — for people and pets — in airtight containers that mice can’t chew through.
6. Make sure counters, stovetops and tabletops are wiped down after each meal.
7. Vacuum and mop regularly.
8. Seal indoor and outdoor trash cans.

If you’re concerned about mice invading your home this winter — or think you may already have a mouse in the house — contact The Bug Doctor to schedule a free inspection.