Keeping Mice Out of Your Home
A lot of times, people never really think about potential mice problems until they find mice droppings or chewed food packaging in their home. When this happens, most people initially freak out, and then buy some traps and try to kill the intruders. Often, within a week or so, they catch a mouse, but by now they are wondering just how many mice they have living with them, and why they are now having this problem.
Nine times out of ten, the need for rodent control comes down to conducive conditions. Conducive conditions for mice are most often a result of a neglected home maintenance item. Here are a few of the most common ones:
By far the most common access point for mice is through the garage. This damaged weather-stripping on a garage door in Liberty Lake had led to a serious mice infestation in the home. The best way to inspect your garage door seal is to close the garage door from the inside. Then, with all the lights off, take a look around your garage, especially the garage door. If you can see light coming through a hole or gap bigger than a dime, mice problems in your home are far more likely to occur.
The second most common maintenance issue that leads to mice problems, is missing sealant where pipes or wires enter the house. Again, it takes VERY little space for a mouse to squeeze through. In addition, often there is a little bit of heat escaping the building around pipes and wires which quickly attracts mice into a home like this one in Spokane Valley. Once a mouse or two as entered, they often leave a trail of urine drops which can attract more mice to the newly discovered access point. It is very important to seal up holes to keep mice out!
Another issue that often allows mice problems in a home is cracks in the foundation. If you can stick the eraser end of a pencil into the crack, there is a good chance mice can fit through too. Sealing up gaps can be done by stuffing steel wool into the crack. Spokane Pest Pro often uses a product call Xcluder which mice cannot chew through. Although a bit pricey, this product fills gaps and keeps mice out. This crack was discovered under a deck at a home in Nine Mile Falls. After close inspection, it was clear from mice droppings in the corner and signs of urine visible with an infrared flashlight, that mice had been entering the home at this location.
Although these are a few of the common access points that lead to mice control problems in a house, there are certainly other possibilities too. If you need some help with rodent control in the Spokane metro area, call Spokane Pest Pro. Our average customer with a mice problem has full resolution within a few days, for a lot less money than many of the larger companies are charging. Give us a call today. We can help!
