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Getting Rid of Mice
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No homeowner wants mice in the home. For the most part, they can be avoided by eliminating the accessibility of food, water and habitat.
House mice live in homes, businesses and agricultural fields. Cold weather can bring mice indoors in search of food and shelter. House mice eat many types of food but prefer seeds and grain; however, mice may try any food that is available to them. They need very little water to survive and actually obtain their water from the food they eat. They may burrow in the ground in fields or around structures when other shelter is not available. Mice can get into a structure by gnawing, climbing, jumping and swimming.
Telltale signs of mice:
- droppings,
- tracks including footprints or tail marks
- urine, both dry and wet
- smudge marks that may occur on beams, rafters, pipes or walls,
- gnawing marks on doors, ledges or other surfaces
- gnawing and climbing sounds
- visual sightings of mice
- nests found in closets, garages, closets and attics and
- odors
Eliminating mice from an environment requires rodent-proof construction, sanitation and reduction of the population with the use of traps, repellents or other rodenticides. Making a home rodent-proof is difficult because mice are able to enter very narrow openings. Homeowners should seal all holes and openings larger than l/4-inch across. Include the use of materials that will resist rodent gnawing such as concrete, sheet metal or hardware cloth. Rodent prevention includes good housekeeping practices, storage of food in sealed containers and garbage elimination. The use of repellents, toxicants, baits and anticoagulants is seldom a practical solution to mice infestations. Rodent-proof construction and other means of prevention are usually more permanent and cost effective than the use of repellents.
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