When the cold starts to settle in Quebec, mice begin looking for a warm and cozy place to spend the winter. This is when they get into our attics, walls or basements, where they cause significant damage.
If you are dealing with a mouse infestation, the situation must be dealt with quickly since it can get worse in a short period of time. You can set traps to get rid of mice, but most of the time, it takes the help of a mouse exterminator to effectively manage the problem.
Why should you get rid of mice that have infiltrated your home?
For starters, you should know that mice reproduce very quickly. Each mouse can give birth to more than 48 mice per year, which in turn can have babies after only a few weeks. The infestation can therefore escalate at a rapid pace if nothing is done to control it.
Mice can cause damage to your walls and ceilings, as well as electrical cables and gas pipes, which is a significant fire hazard. They can also contaminate your food and drinking water supply, spreading diseases such as leptospirosis.
In addition, mice leave behind them a strong urine odour that permeates surrounding materials and becomes very difficult to eliminate. This often leaves people with no other choice but to use specialized decontamination services with costs that can climb rapidly from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
Where do mice usually hide?
Mice in walls are a common occurrence. They use the insulation and wall cavities to circulate and build their nests, all the while going completely unnoticed. Mice are also frequently found in the kitchen. Mice are attracted to kitchens because they are a source of heat, crumbs and food stores. These small rodents easily slip in behind appliances, under the sink or even inside cupboards.
How to prevent mouse infestations in your home
To prevent mice from entering your house, it is imperative to correctly seal all exterior access points to the house. A mouse can pass through a hole as small as a dime; no potential entry point should be overlooked.
Examples of access points to inspect and monitor
Here are some common access points that mice will take advantage of to infiltrate your house:
- Cracks or fissures in the foundation or exterior walls;
- Interstices around tubing (water or gas pipes, ventilation, electrical cables);
- Openings around windows and window sills;
- Spaces under exterior doors or between a door and its threshold;
- Vent openings (roof ventilation, airway, etc.);
- Fissures or openings in the roof, soffits, cornices or around the chimney;
- Cracks that form between different types of materials (for example between cladding and brick, awnings or extensions to the building);
- Under the house through crawl spaces, subfloors or trap doors that don’t seal adequately.
Make your house less attractive to mice
Mice mostly seek food, water, and hiding places.
You can reduce the chances of intrusion by keeping garbage away from the house, storing your food in airtight containers and eliminating any source of leaking water. Sealing the potential access points described above will also be very helpful.
It is also recommended to avoid piling up wood or leaves near the walls, to regularly clean the garage and sheds, and to clean bird feeders so no bird seeds are accessible.
Using traps to get rid of mice that take shelter in your house
Once the extent of the problem has been identified, you can take action by setting traps at strategic locations. Choosing the right bait and setting the traps in the appropriate locations are essential to achieve good results. Good knowledge of mouse behaviour and lifestyle is required to correctly determine these locations; a pest control expert can help you set traps effectively.
There are four main types of mouse traps:
Mouse traps
Mechanical traps such as spring-loading traps (designed for mice) are often the first option people use. When the bait is touched, the mechanism instantly activates to neutralize the mouse. This kind of trap is efficient when placed in the right spot, i.e., along walls and corners where mice circulate often.
Note, however, that mouse traps don’t work well to treat a serious infestation and that they must regularly be inspected, emptied and rearmed. They also present a potential danger to children and pets.
Sticky traps
Sticky glue traps capture mice by immobilizing them on an adhesive surface. They are simple to use but are also criticized because the trapped mouse might suffer for a long time.
Because a mouse captured on this kind of trap doesn’t die immediately, it becomes necessary to eliminate it later on.
Rat poison
Utmost care and vigilance should be used when using poison to eliminate mice. Rodenticides are a danger to children, pets and even surrounding wildlife. The mice that have ingested the poison can sometimes run off to die in a wall or ceiling from which they are hard to retrieve, resulting in unpleasant odours when they start to decompose.
Ultrasounds
Ultrasound equipment does exist on the market. The device generates high-frequency sound waves that can purportedly repel mice. Some households use them in zones where it’s not possible to install any kind of trap. However, not all agree as to their efficiency. For example, mice are able to become accustomed to the noise. Moreover, the sound waves do not penetrate very deeply inside the walls. This method is not really efficient when these factors are considered.
In all cases, using a team of pest control professionals is the most effective option for managing a mouse infestation and preventing future intrusions. If in doubt, our specialists are able to advise you on the best method to use depending on the kind of infestation you’re dealing with and how serious it is.
Contact Avalanche Extermination to get rid of mice in your home
At Avalanche Extermination, we are committed to your safety, health and peace of mind. We act quickly and discreetly and we guarantee that our methods are as effective as they are safe.
Contact us today if you want to quickly solve a mouse problem. We will be pleased to offer you the best possible service, while ensuring that the rodents do not return.