Preventing Mouse Infestation
1. Make Them Homeless
Keep in mind that mice cannot thrive in your house if they cannot find a "safe" place to hide. As a general advice, you have to survey your house for cracks and crevices that are large enough to serve as a mouse entry point to food cabinets, lavatory pipes, water drainage and other locations in your house that qualifies as a habitat for a mouse.
Cracks and crevices larger than a quarter of an inch are usually wide enough to allow young mice to get in. The mortar around the foundation or windows of the basement usually become loose over time so you have to repair or replace the mortar every once in a while in order to make sure that it does not serve as a mouse entry point to your house.
2. Say Goodbye to Shrubberies
Mice also like living in weedy vegetations like a small vegetable garden or a very bushy shrub. If you can't help having such plants, remember to regularly trim the plants and keep them away from your house or put them in separated pots. Mice can also use tree braches that stretches too closely to your house as entry points so keep the branches well trimmed too.
3. Dry Damp Areas
High humidity or a water-system malfunction can result to pest problems too apart from mold-growth. Mice like damp places and areas in your house which are often exposed to water are usually their target sanctuaries. Moreover, mice also like basements, attics or ceilings which are damp due to water leakage or excessive moisture caused by humidity. Keep these areas dry and well ventilated in order to keep house mice and other pests away.
4. Proper Waste Disposal
Pest mice are normally drawn by food and what could be more attractive to a mouse than carelessly "disposed" kitchen garbage? Make certain that your garbage bins are fitted with lids and are emptied out as often as possible. Don't keep large garbage bins that can hold more than a day's wastage because it will only encourage you to save the task of emptying your garbage bin for the next day. It is best if you segregate your garbage, keeping waste food in a secured bin.
5. Act Fast and Early
Do not delay spreading of mouse-traps, glueboards, moth balls and other rodenticides around your house at the most early signs of mouse infestation. If you are new to using such kinds of products, you might want to try using glueboards first. There are two types of glueboards, both being cheap and early to use in mice control.
The first one is called the "tray-type" because the board is shaped so as to show a shallow depression, into which the sticky substance used to immobilize the mouse is spread. The other one is called the "simple board-type" which functions very much like the first one, but instead of being shaped like a tray, it is simply like a thin rectangular cardboard with one side bearing the sticky substance. The sticky substance used in glueboards is also non-toxic and is easily removed by cooking oil.
A nibbled box of frosted cereals or small mouse droppings are sufficient signs to get you in your pants and start looking for mice. Be very cautious about mouse infestation because they can destroy appliances (nibbling of wires), compromise water safety and jeopardize your health in a matter of days. If you do not know how to handle the situation, call a qualified professional mouse-buster for help.
How to Find a Real Mouse-busting Pro?
1. Make sure the “pro” has a license.
When hiring other people to do a specific job in your behalf, no matter what kind of job that is, you have to make sure that you only deal with licensed contractors or companies, this is an absolute rule. Do not be tempted to grab the cheap deals unqualified individuals and companies offer you, think about it, if it is so good to be true, then probably it is not true after all. So ask for the contractor's or company's license or consider looking through their credentials in the field of mouse pest control. Do not settle for less because you are paying a fair price.
2. Look for credentials.
Since you are willing to spend money on pest management, then take your time to look for someone who can be trusted to do the job. Sort all the pest control companies that, you think, are capable of providing you with a magnificent job by evaluating their affiliation to different pest control associations. National and state-wide associations do not easily grant membership status to companies and contractors with questionable reputation. Membership to a local pest management association is also a plus factor.
3. Ask for friendly advices.
Solicit helpful advices from your neighbors and friends. Have them recommend specific pest control companies and contractors that they have hired in the past and gave them satisfactory service. Sometimes, positive opinions from previous clients are more credible than all other credentials.
4. Spot the fake quick.
Be very cautious towards "mouse-busters" that just appears on your doorsteps and offer you a free pest inspection. There has been many instances when these "mouse-busters" make-up a horrifying pest infestation report and scare you into authorizing them to eradicate the supposed pests in your house at a very unreasonable cost.
5. Go for the lowest bid.
If you are hiring a pest management company to eradicate pests in a big building or location, involving a sizable amount of money, you can get bids from different companies and hire the company that offers you quality service at the lowest cost. This measure can help you save a lot of money which you can use for future pest management plans.
6. Finally, read the contract right.
Before signing any contracts, make sure that you understand the scope of the extermination that the pest management company is going to do. See if the extents and limits of the service are properly laid out. You will be able to use the contract as supporting evidence in cause the pest control company has any liability to you, i.e. damage to your house due to the treatment they have used.
The tips and advices given in this post are intended to help you get started with mouse control in your house and are not meant to be absolute at all times. The only thing that is absolute when it comes to mouse control is the fact that you have to act on it fast in order to secure your health, as well as the livability of your house. For the rest, use your ability to discern which of these tips and advices can be applied in your case and apply only those that you think fit your situation.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Recommended read: Electronic Mouse Pest Control Devices
All the best,
Sergiu Zburatoru
