Help! My House Has a Mice Infestation!  

Are you scared to walk into your kitchen without the lights on? Does the thought of turning on the light fill you with dread? If your house has a mice infestation, then you may be afraid of both! You certainly don’t want to step on one of these critters and you don’t want to see them run across your kitchen floor!

If you have mice, then it’s time to do something about it. These rodents carry diseases that can cause your family health problems. They also leave fecal droppings all over. There are even safety issues because if mice get into your walls, they can chew through electrical wiring, which can cause a fire.

Can You Really Get Rid of Mice?

Yes, you can, but it’s going to take some diligence. You certainly won’t get rid of mice overnight. It’s going to take time. One of the first things you need to ensure is that you don’t leave the mice any source of food. This means that your dry good needs to be stored in airtight plastic container. Ziploc bags are not an effective deterrent. Cereals, flour, cornmeal, and sugar are favorites of mice. Infestations begin with just one mouse. They can reproduce so quickly that your entire home can be overrun in just a matter of days. You must stop their food supply in order to get rid of mice.

You’ve probably heard of the old wives tales of getting rid of mice. These include moth balls, cayenne pepper, and bars of Ivory soap. However, there are more efficient means of getting rid of mice infestation. Most people begin with mouse traps and move up the ladder quickly to more efficient and capable means.

There’s nothing wrong with the old-fashioned mouse traps. That is, except they are messy, disgusting, and really gruesome. Here’s a hint, if you decide to use one of these types of traps, you’ll catch more mice with peanut butter than cheese!

If you use rat poison, be careful. It’s very hazardous to children and pets. In fact, most experts recommend that if you have small children or pets, then you should avoid poisons all together. Another problem with poisons is that the mice infestation is not dead immediately. This means that you could have several dead animals in a number of different areas in your home. You may not realize they are even dead until the odor becomes quite obvious. That is one cleanup job you certainly don’t want!

A Final Thought or Two 

Mice infestation is one of the most common pest problems that people experience. You may need to contact an exterminator if you cannot seem to get a handle on the problem yourself. There are several new products available that have proven somewhat effective, as well. These include the sonic mouse repellants that use high frequency noise to drive the mice away. When it comes to the safety of your home, you want it as sanitary as possible. This means that the mice must go!

Mice Infestation Tip #1

Mice reach sexual maturity in about 35 days. They usually have between 6 and 12 babies. Even with only one pair of mice, it’s easy to see how an infestation can occur very quickly. You should look for nests of mice in the back of cupboards, closets, attics, and basements and remove the nest and babies. Be careful not to get bit!

Mice Infestation Tip #2

To train a cat to catch mice, put a few baby mice in the bottom of a tall trash can. Put your cat in with the mice and let him play with them. It won’t take long for the cat to realize that he can play with his food!

Mice Infestation Tip #3

Inspect the outside of your house around the foundation. Mice can enter a home through a hole a half an inch wide. Plug all of these holes to keep the mice and other pests out.