If you perpetually face the irritating problem of mouse infestation, then you need to conceive various mouse deterrent techniques. An individual would need to choose appropriate techniques for deterring mice based upon the characteristics of his location and his house. It must be remembered that every house is different and solutions would vary accordingly. Sometimes it is seen that behavior of a particular mice population is different from the other groups. Some mice might be more agile than the rest and more experienced in evading human beings. It is important to understand the instinct and the psyche of mice of a particular area is order to tackle them competently. The first instinct that works in these rodents is that of survival.
For surviving, mice need food and hence they build their nests in places close to food sources. People stock food items in various places and these locations are ideal nesting spots for mice too. Mice do not need lot of water and therefore a small puddle of water is enough for them. The first mouse deterrent strategy would therefore be to prevent food portions from lying scattered inside the house, or food being stored in open spaces. Grains and other similar items should be kept in air-tight containers. If possible, food items should be kept inside the refrigerator.
A modern mouse deterrent technique is using an ultrasonic mouse deterrent. This method is very ethical and humane as no harm is done to the mouse; rather, it is merely driven away with the aid of high-frequency sound. These electric gadgets are being increasingly preferred by people nowadays instead of the traditional mouse deterrent methods of traps and baits. Safety precautions needed are minimal and the operation and installation of these gadgets are also very easy. These products are also known as sonic repellents and produce sound having frequency of approximately 20,000 Hz which is inaudible to human beings. The efficacy of these gadgets would primarily depend on two aspects, viz., the intensity of sound and its frequency.
When ultrasonic sounds are emitted, a lot of agony is caused in the ears of the various insects and rodents. Being unable to bear this high-pitched sound the creatures flee away from the house. In order to create a profound impact with these devices a person might need to purchase several such gadgets for installing in different rooms of the house. Different categories of sonic rodent-repellents are existent and some of them are extremely compact. The compact-sized repellents can be suitably plugged into any kind of plug-socket.
In order to increase the efficacy of these mice repellents, certain measures should be taken. A person should keep these gadgets in rooms that are open and furniture is less. This is because goods and furniture absorb these high-pitched sound waves and reduce their effectiveness. These gadgets also do not work optimally in rooms that have a cramped space as the walls prevent the sound waves from going to the other rooms. The ideal area of the rooms for this kind of mouse deterrent to function optimally would be 400 to 500 square feet. These gadgets do not use any harmful pesticides, which are often found in rat poisons. Brutal mouse traps are also worse than these gadgets as there are chances of the mice getting injured in those traps.
Among natural substances, peppermint oil, mint leaves and onions are quite popular as mouse deterrent items. Although the scent of all these substances is pleasing to human beings, they are simply revolting to the rodents like mice and rats. In many households, cats are present and these feline creatures are competently able to get hold of mice and exterminate them. Nowadays experiments are being conducted to find out if scents similar to that of a cat’s body can be effective or not.
Lastly, the importance of cleanliness and hygiene inside the house can never be underestimated. In fact, this is the most important and basic mouse deterrent method. A person must ensure that junk materials are not piled up anywhere inside the room or even near the house. All entry-points of mice need to be comprehensively blocked and one must search for the presence of holes, cracks, loose boards, etc. inside the house.
All the best,
Sergiu Zburatoru
