A female mouse can start her family at a very young age (6 weeks old!) and can mate again immediately and produce a new litter less than a month after having her first. With this rapid breeding schedule, one mouse can have more than 50 offspring each year. When you consider that her offspring also begin breeding soon after they are born, the number of mice that could potentially infest your home could be in the hundreds in just a few months. While mice outdoors rarely survive longer than a year because of predators and weather, those inside your home can live two or three times that long and keep breeding all that time. So, if you are going to prevent a mouse infestation, you’ll need to be careful about rodent control to avoid even one or two entering your home. Here are some ways you can prevent and eliminate rodents.
- Moisture control – Rodents are just like people in that they need water to survive. Take care to resolve any moisture issues, including leaking pipes, condensation due to ventilation issues, clogged gutters and drains, and dripping faucets. Also, be sure to keep your attic and crawlspace or basement dry and ventilated.
- Inspect packages – Mice can be good at hitchhiking into your home in boxes, packages, groceries, and anything else you bring into your home, so be careful to inspect them. This goes for moving things from a storage unit back to your home, as well.
- Seal access points – Routinely inspect the exterior of your home for any holes, cracks, or other openings that a mouse could use as an entry point. They can squeeze into remarkably small openings, so be sure to caulk up any cracks or holes you find. Steel wool pushed into holes can be quite effective, as well.
- Properly store food – The more food you can keep in airtight containers the better. This goes for the groceries you bring home from the market, as well as pet food, bird seed, and other food products. Speaking of pets, if you don’t already have a cat, getting one can help you with rodent control. Even if it isn’t a good mouser, its presence can deter all but the bravest of mice.
- Screen vents – There are some openings that you cannot seal completely because they are needed for ventilation. Since you cannot seal them off, consider putting screening over them. Examples include chimneys and plumbing vents.
- Clear around house – It is best not to let shrubbery grow right up to your house as it can be a good hiding place for rodents and lets them stay nearby to keep watching for an opportunity to get inside. You should also take care to store firewood several feet away from your house.
- Remove garbage daily – The shorter the period of time that garbage sits around, the less likely it will draw attention from rodents, not to mention other pests, such as ants and cockroaches.
- Sweep/vacuum daily – A crumb might seem like nothing to you, but to a mouse it is a good meal. Mice won’t stick around where there isn’t any food, so the less crumbs, the better your rodent control plan will work.
- Peppermint – It might seem odd but rodents don’t care much for peppermint. You can use peppermint for rodent control in a variety of ways, including growing it around your home, diffusing peppermint essential oil inside your home, or making a spray to spritz baseboards.
- Don’t delay calling for help – If you suspect you have a mouse or two, you probably have more and it can get out of hand very quickly, so call for rodent control services at the first sign that a mouse has circumvented your best efforts for DIY rodent control.
At Pest & Termite Consultants, we can help you eliminate a rodent problem at your Holly Springs, North Carolina home and advise you about the best methods for preventing rodents going forward. Rodents are not something you want to ignore because they carry bacteria and can quickly contaminate your home. They can also gnaw on wires, potentially causing an electrical fire. Mice are also destructive as they seek out nesting materials which can mean damaged clothing, insulation, and other items. Call today for the best in rodent control services!