Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse look quite funny in the cartoons, while real life mice are far from being cute. These tiny pests can pose significant risks to your health as well as damage to your property since they can carry diseases such as Hantavirus, Tularemia, and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis. New York City Mice aren’t picky and will find their way into your home without an invitation either. Mice can get into your house through small cracks in the walls, floors or foundations as well as through an open window or pet door. If you have a mouse problem then you need to address is it in a straight simple away.
Check for Signs of Mice
The very first thing you should do is to look for the signs of mice in your house. Search for the areas which contain food or from which food is prepared such as kitchen cabinets, drawers and under the sink. Also, pay attention to behind the stove or the refrigerator. If you encounter mouse droppings, bites on the food packets or small gaps on the furniture or walls, then you have a problem.
Keep Food Away
They are always in the search of food and hence do not make it easy for them to find. Pick any food item and store it in a container that has an airtight lid and which is made of glass or hard plastic. This applies to pet food as well, ensure that you store it when not in use. Ensure that you clean up food spills, crumbs and garbage to ensure that your home is not a target to these creatures.
Clean and Declutter
A clean home means that a mouse will not find a good hiding spot to his liking. These creatures prefer to live in a cluttered environment, so ensure that your house is not cluttered. Clean the house often and make sure that there is no food left on the table or on the floor. These creatures can even build their nests in piles of clothes or old boxes that you may have put in a corner; do not just let them stay there. It is therefore important to keep the house and/or room as clean and organized as possible so that the mice have a difficult time to search for a hide out.
Seal Up Holes
So, to avoid mice, one has to ensure that the mice cannot gain entry into the house. Mice can squeeze through very small spaces, for instance through cracks in walls, through gaps in floors or through the underside of doors. Avoid using things which the mice can chew through like steel wool, caulk, or any other material that can be used to seal the gaps. Outside your house, ensure that the grass is not grow allowed to to heights, ensure that there is no accumulation of debris and ensure that wood piles are not placed near the walls as hide away.
Use Mouse Traps
I would use traps to catch the mice that are already inside because it is effective. Snap traps and glue traps are efficient and effective. Set it along the wall or any area where you have seen the mentioned symptoms of mice. Do not use poison because it can lead to more complications. Mice which have been given poison can die in the walls of your house and this will cause bad odour and health risks when the mice start decomposing. This is safer and you are in charge to solve the problem at once.
Call a Professional
If you can’t manage the task by yourself and if the problem is out of control then it is advisable to seek the services of a professional. A professional pest control service will be able to determine the extent of the infestation, get rid of the mice and prevent future infestations. They have the equipment and the knowledge on how to solve the problem effectively and efficiently.
Final Tips
Mice are quite tiny but they can lead to many issues if they gain entry into your home. It is thus important to be vigilant, ensure that one cleans regularly, seal all possible entry points and lay traps to ensure that the infestation does not become out of control. It is therefore advisable to engage a professional at any given time in order to ensure that such pests are eliminated from your home once and for all. It is therefore important to act early in order to prevent these intruders from causing further damage to one’s home and health.