Mice are cute little critters, but they can cause a lot of problems. Once an extended family of mice moves into your home, they will tuck into your food, chew electrical wires, make nests in your roof void, and keep you awake all night long with their endless scurrying around.
If you have a serious infestation, it is probably sensible to call a pest control company such as Reynolds Pest Control Services, as they will have the expertise to deal with the root cause of your woes. But, if you don’t think there are more than one or two mice making merry in your home, have a go at sorting it yourself.
Most people turn to poison as the first line of defense when dealing with any type of rodent infestation. Poison is certainly effective, but if you have pets and/or children, it isn’t recommended. Pets might accidentally eat the poison bait. If they do, it will almost certainly kill them unless you get them to a vet straight away. Luckily, there are other things you can do to get rid of mice in your home.
Mouse Traps
Mouse traps are very effective. They kill instantly, so the mouse doesn’t suffer. You must check the traps daily, however, as a rotting mouse corpse in warm weather will smell worse than you can possibly imagine.
Humane traps are for the more squeamish but bear in mind that mice do tend to return to a source of food, so unless you are willing to take your captured mouse on a very long journey, it will be back by nightfall.
Cats
Cats are the ultimate slackers. They eat our food, sleep all day, and barely give us a moment’s thought. But, if you have a mouse infestation, a cat is worth his weight in gold. Cats are highly efficient predators and hunting mice is a fun game for them. Mice are naturally fearful of cats, so the presence of one in a home is likely to deter mice.
Strong Smells
If you are not keen on cats, borrow a used cat litter tray and place it in a strategic location. Mice are repelled by certain odors and cat urine is one of them, which is not surprising given than cat pee is very noxious.
Does the thought of cat urine make you retch? If so, stay away from the kitty litter and sprinkle liberal amounts of peppermint oil around your home. It is less effective for mice already in the home, but it will repel all newcomers.
Dogs
Hate cats, love dogs? If so, you are in luck. Certain breeds of dogs such as a Jack Russell or a Yorkshire Terrier love chasing rodents. Terriers were bred to kill rats, so dealing with a few pesky mice is in their DNA. Buy or borrow a terrier and let him or her loose in your house. Any mice in residence will soon be running for the hills.
Prevention is always better than cure, so block up holes in doors and windows and never leave food open and accessible to rodents.
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