You Have a Rodent Problem…
So you keep finding little black droppings around the kitchen when you wake up in the morning? Do you find small holes in cabinets and corners that are chewed on? These are all a pretty good sign that you have some sort of rodent problem. Getting rid of mice is easier than you think and I have had plenty of experience with these little guys. I once lived in a house in Texas where there were so many field mice that we eventually found a snake hiding in the wall because of all the mice we had. Rodents cause physical damage to homes and apartments as well as transfer diseases and contaminate eating areas. During the medieval times mice and rats were responsible for the deaths of thousands by transmitting the bubonic plague. Mice generally track all sorts of bacteria all over you kitchen and other areas that would be considered clean to eat from.
Assess the Situation
Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice
First you need to find out what kind of rodents and how many. The most common rodent is the brown house mouse. These guys can appear cute but can transmit all sorts of diseases. First look in all cabinets, drawers, shelves, and corners of your kitchen for mouse droppings, mouse shit, mouse feces, mouse poop – whatever you want to call it… Anything close to the picture on the left and you can bet that you have a rodent problem. Depending on how much you clean you may see a few or many. Take that into account when deciding on whether or not your infestation is serious or small. Now the next thing you need to look for are holes or paths that the mice might be using to hide in the walls. If you live in an urban area then you probably won’t have field mice, but you will have brown mice (house mice). Field mice prefer to eat vegetation and usually only come in to houses if there is little food outside or if it is too hot or cold. Brown mice will live inside the house and live off food droppings on the ground and food put in the trash. The best way to prevent any kind of rodent living your house is to put away food and keep it in secure containers. Mice will eat through cereal boxes to get at the cereal and through the plastic bags that bread comes in to eat the bread. Keep these items in secure plastic containers.
How to Get rid of Mice Naturally
Getting rid of mice naturally can give you a surprising amount of satisfaction – knowing that you mad an extra effort to save an animal’s life. This is easier said than done… Catching mice is difficult enough and catching live can be a true challenge. Luckily there are some great methods and products:
- Prevent mice from entering your home
- Use copper mesh, or rodent foam to block cracks and openings
- Make sure your kitchen is clean any starchy food is put away in tupperware
- Use “Catch and Release” traps
- There are many traps that will catch mice alive and unharmed try the “Smart Mouse Trap” made by Humane Mouse Trap
- You do not need to touch the mouse and can set them loose away from your home
- Get a cat
- Almost every type of cat is adept at catching mice and will catch them in your home
Traditional Ways to Get Rid of Mice
- Snap traps are cheap and effective – but you have to touch the mouse.
- A quick tip is to use super glue to glue an almond or other nut to the plate on the trap making it last much longer and more effective at catching mice.
- Glue traps or “sticky” traps
- These are very effective but can be pretty gruesome and difficult to clean
Mice, unlike cockroaches, cannot survive for very long without food and water. So believe me when I tell you that one of the most effective methods is keeping a clean house with no food for the rodents to eat. Doing this will also improve the effectiveness of your baits because the mice are becoming more hungry they are willing to try to get food from traps. If you have a mouse problem every winter then you should call a professional pest control service to plug up the holes that the mice are finding into your home. This can save you money and a headache in the long run from all the time spent getting them out of the house.
Good Luck!
