Now that the holidays are over, have all of your guests left? Hopefully, no one overstayed their welcome… But that’s exactly what mice tend to do at this time of year. It’s cooler outside, so naturally they like to move inside where it’s warmer. Mice want to build their nests and have babies where it feels safe to do so.
You probably don’t appreciate that so much, though. You want to be a good host or hostess to human guests, but not so much for the rodents. Learn the signs of mice infestation so that you can be on guard for the critters during the cool months of the year.
- Droppings on the floor, along countertops or shelves, or in the pantry (they look like small black grains of rice)
- Chew marks on plastic wiring or food containers
- Tiny, mouse-shaped footprints
- A musky smell in the house
- A “pitter patter” sound in the walls or ceiling
- And of course, an actual sighting of a mouse probably indicates that you have more than one “houseguest”
If you see any of the above signs of mice infestation, you probably have more than one of the rodents present. Because they breed quickly, you want to call a pest control expert before the problem gets out of control.
A female mouse can produce up to ten litters per year. So when you spot any sign of mice in your house, get to work. Trapping and removing the mice often won’t do the trick, because you haven’t solved the source of the infestation. The first thing you need to do is seal up any entrances to your home, and the second thing is to stop providing mice with a terrific home environment. That means sealing up all food sources and becoming diligent about cleaning up the kitchen every night. Take out the trash at the end of each day, too, and place it in a sealed trash bin.
And of course, give us a call. We will get to the source of the infestation and get rid of it, so that you don’t have to battle the tiny invaders for months to come.