All You Need To Know About Mice In Your Home

The common household pest, mice can take up residence in your home in no time. The moment they find a food and water source, they will begin to feel safe and might never leave the house again. The best way to tackle the situation is to be quick. You need to take immediate action to get rid of them from your house.

How are mice attracted to your home?

The easiest way to deal with the problem of pest infestation is to prevent it from happening. You can also hire pest control experts that will help to eliminate your pest control issues but if you choose to try and eliminate the issue on your own below are some things which attract mice in your home that you need to know about and ultimately how to deal with them.

1. Sources of food

The biggest culprit in a mouse problem is the food. Open food means there will be not one but a whole team of mice in your home. Mice like grains, seeds and fruits and if they notice anything unsealed, they will be right there. Mice are omnivorous which means they can eat anything that they set their eyes on, including pet food.

2.Water sources

Mice are always thinking about different sources of water.  Mice in residential areas find it easy to locate an open source of water near your home. If you own a pet, they will have to look nowhere else, they will have water from the pet’s dish. You cannot remove pet water bowls but what you can do is make them less attractive and be smarter in terms of placement. Keep the dish indoors when the pet is done and empty the bowls during the night so mice do not have an easy water source while you are asleep.

3. Trash

Most of us tend to throw a lot of food in trash. This is where mice find their way into your home. They are always lurking around the garbage and when they are hungry, they will pick any food that is easily available.

4. Crumbs and clutter

Mice love messy houses and clutter. They love the crumbs which are found in a messy house. They enjoy the tiny morsels which you do not notice and it adds up to a lunch for the mouse. Again, debris and clutter are ideal for a mouse to build up a nest and have babies.

5. Warmth

Mice find the handy boxes in the house highly attractive. They can make a nest inside the walls with ease. They are always looking for a cozy space and during the months of winter, they will look for boxes to hide in. They will have a convenient food source in your home and a cozy place to sleep in. When it comes to mice, Vancouver pest control has found maximum mice entering households during the cold months of winter. If they find any sort of warmth or shelter, they will not let the opportunity pass.

6. Absence of predators

In the wild, mice keep worrying about natural predators but in a house, they have nothing to worry about. It is a safe place which keeps the wildlife out. Mice will always prefer to lurk around residential areas instead of out in the wild.

How do mice get inside?

Now that you know the reasons why mice like households better than open terrain, you need to know where do they get into your house from. Only when you identify areas they find easy to enter through, you will be able to take the right steps to block them. Mice do not need an entryway in the home. They can enter through an opening below the door or even through a narrow crack. They are small and they can fit into very small spaces. If it can fit its head in any space, it will enter the house. The head is the biggest part of the body and once the head gets in, the body will simply slide inside. Here are a few places through which mice get into the home.

1. Gaps in the material

A big concern in mice infestation is the gap present between the building material on the outer side of the home. Some common gap areas include gaps in soffit and roof, gaps between foundation and siding and gaps between fascia and roof.

2. Weep vents

A common design feature, a weep vent serves the purpose of allowing any water from the wall to escape in the air. It will air out the wall and will keep the wall dry. Mice can easily take advantage of these vents. Since you cannot cover them, you can use a plastic covering and replace it from time to time.

3. Roof vents

Mouse can make its way to the roof through entry points. They get through the plastic or aluminum vents over the roof and what stands between your house and the mouse is the bug screen which mice can easily chew off. A chimney is also an easy way to get inside the house. They are excellent climbers and can get through literally any space. You need to invest in a chimney cap so as to cover the gaps and to keep the mice away.

4. Utility lines

Utility units help pump exhaust outside the home and to do this, there are vents that run through the exterior walls. It means there are holes which allow for water, air conditioning, heating, and electricity. This is all the space a mouse requires in order to get into your home.

5. Window and door frames

At times, the only space a mouse needs is the gap between the door and your floor. Even if it is only two centimeters, the mouse will manage to get in. Doors that hang unevenly or hang very high are ideal for the mouse.

Prevention is better than cure and if you take the necessary steps to keep mice out of your house, you will be able to keep them away. Be aware of your surroundings and never leave any gap for the mice to slip in.