How To Keep A Mouse Problem Under Control

Mice are frustrating pests. They're so tiny, they can wiggle through the tiniest gaps and get inside your home with ease. Once inside, they wreak havoc by shredding papers and cloth for bedding and chewing through walls to move through your home. They leave behind droppings and germs. They also cause an overpowering odor in your home when they're present in large numbers. Needless to say, you want to get rid of mice in a hurry and keep them from coming back. Here are some mouse control ideas to try.

Clear The Property Near Your House

Get rid of places where mice can hide near your home. By removing shelter and places to escape from predators, the mice will be leery about crossing a wide expanse of lawn to get inside your house. Move wood piles to the far side of your yard, be careful about letting clutter build up outside, and keep an eye on things that aren't used very often such as a boat or extra car. The mice might use the engines or insides as nests if the vehicles don't get much human activity. Also, think about your landscaping. You may love to have lush plants near your house, but they can provide cover for pesky mice. If you have a mouse problem, you may need to move plants away from your house and keep the tree branches trimmed so mice can't climb them and hop on the roof. Once the property is clear and tidy, go around your house and seal up all the gaps you find so mice can't slip through.

Clear Clutter In Your House

If you have a lot of clutter in your house, you'll have an instant mouse paradise. Clutter gives the mice many places to hide since they are so small. Try to avoid a clutter room where you store things and rarely enter. You don't want any rooms to be quiet and free from human activity for long periods of time or mice will feel more comfortable living in the area. You should clear all clutter so they have fewer hiding places, but concentrate on fabric and paper first. Also, tackle your cupboards to make sure there is no loose food in storage. Then be sure to keep food sealed in the future so the mice won't find anything to eat in your home.

Put Out Traps

The above steps make your property and home less welcoming to mice, but once you have them, you will probably need to resort to traps to get rid of them. Natural repellents aren't reliable when it comes to effectiveness. Poison is a bad choice because you don't want smelly dead mice in your home. Instead, buy several traps and place them in safe areas around your home. Keep them filled with food and you'll gradually reduce the number of mice in your house. You can use snap traps, glue traps, live traps, or electric traps. Try a combination of traps and buy more than you think you need because the more you have, the better results you'll get.

Call In A Pest Control Expert

If you see an occasional mouse and you catch it quickly with a trap, you may be able to control the mouse problem on your own. However, if you hear scratching in the walls at night and see mice scurry when you walk in the kitchen, it is time to get professional help. When mice multiply, they get aggressive in their search for food. You'll find them and their droppings all over your kitchen, so you want to get rid of them fast. An expert can help by finding where they nest and setting up traps to wipe them out. Plus, he or she will look at your property to find out where they're coming from and what steps you have to take to keep them outside where they belong.

When you have a bad mouse infestation, it can take a long time to get rid of them all. They can hide between walls and in the attic and stay unseen while they multiply. You may never get rid of them once they're established if you don't get professional advice and treatment.