No one likes sharing their house with mice. You may be trained to think they are cute and harmless thanks to the cartoons, but they are a nuisance in more ways than you could imagine. They enter your homes looking for food, water, and shelter.
Once they find what they need, they start reproducing. Reproduction causes more problems, so if you sport any signs of mice infestation, your number one priority is to get rid of them.
What Are Mice
Mice are small rodents that belong to the family of phylum Chordata or animals with a backbone or spinal cord. They are relatively small-sized and can live in tight spaces and squeeze through small openings.
They have thin bodies, short legs, prominent whiskers, and long, scaly tails for balance. They also have a pointed snout that helps them burrow and gnaw through surfaces.
Most mice are either a house mouse or a field mouse. House is the one that most of us are familiar with as they live around humans. Field mice live in natural habitats but enter homes for food and water.
No matter what type they are, all mice are nocturnal. They are sensitive to light and have poor eyesight, which is why they are active at night.
Most people think mice like cheese, but that is not one of their top choices. Mice are omnivores and eat whatever is available, but the bulk of their diet is plant-based.
They feed on any kind of vegetables and fruits, especially if they are readily available. They will also consume plants’ roots and bark. However, their favorite food source is grains, nuts, and seeds.
Mice also consume animal-based food even though it is not their top choice. They eat insects like crickets, beetles, and worms. They also eat small invertebrates like spiders, snails, and slugs. In extreme cases, they might feed on dead animals.
How To Identify A Mouse
Mice are often confused with rats, but the two are very different. You need to be able to tell apart the two because they need different control methods.
Mice are small rodents typically under 5 inches long, while rats are larger and heavier, ranging from 7 to 18 inches long. They have slender bodies, pointed snouts, and large, prominent eyes, while rats are bulkier with blunter snouts and smaller eyes.
Additionally, mice droppings are small, like a grain of sand, and pointed at the ends, while rat droppings are large and blunt. They can also be differentiated from their gnaw marks. Mice leave small, more delicate gnaw marks, while rats leave large and coarse ones.
If mice are around, there will be a musky odor because of the defecating and urinating.
Signs Of A Mouse Infestation
If you are unsure whether your house is infested with mice, here are some signs you can look out for.
Droppings
The most obvious sign is their droppings. If you notice dark-colored grains like rice about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, there might be mice in your home. These grains are usually found along walls, in cupboards and drawers, and under sinks.
They are also in food sources like containers where you store dry goods like cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, and pet food. They also leave droppings under refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers while looking for crumbs.
Musky Odor
Apart from their droppings, the most obvious sign is the odor of their urine. Mice do not have control over their bladder and urinate everywhere and anywhere when they travel. They also urinate often to communicate and mark their territory.
Their urine has a strong, ammonia-like smell and is noticeable in enclosed spaces. The stronger the odor, the larger the infestation. If you follow the odor, you will most likely find their nest.
As mice look for food sources, they chew on objects like containers, food packages, cardboard, plastic, and soft metals to access what is inside. They will consume the food they find and use materials like cardboard and fabric to create a comfortable and secure nest for their young.
Apart from their needs, they chew on objects to keep their ever-growing teeth from becoming overgrown. They cannot let their teeth get too long as it can prevent them from eating properly.
The gnaw marks will be relatively small, under half an inch long. Whatever material they have chewed on will likely have a rough, uneven edge.
Scratching Sounds
Mice are nocturnal creatures, so if you hear scratching noises inside walls, ceilings, or behind furniture at night, your house might be infested. However, it is best to investigate further, as other animals like squirrels, rats, or insects can also cause scratching noises.
Scratching noises caused by mice are usually heard at night and come from inside the walls and behind furniture most of the time. If unsure, look for other signs of mice, like droppings, gnaw marks, or musky odors.
Seeing Live Or Dead Mice
A dead giveaway of mice infestation is a dead or live mice, especially if you see them during the day when they are inactive. The infestation might be larger than you think, so it is better to deal with it immediately.
Mice Damage And Problems
Mice damage and problems should not be taken lightly. Delaying action on a mice infestation can be dangerous, and here’s why.
More Mice
Mice reproduce quickly, which means a small infestation left unchecked can lead to a bigger problem. The female mice have a short gestation period, meaning they will give birth within 20 days. This means they give birth anywhere between 5 to 10 times a year.
Additionally, mice give birth to 3 to 14 pups, of which few are females. These females can become pregnant after six weeks. Therefore, within a few months, a single pregnant mouse could lead to dozens of mice in your home. So, the sooner you deal with them, the easier it will be to control the population.
Mice love to chew to maintain their incisors. They can chew through anything and damage various things in your home. They can chew on electrical wires, a major fire hazard, and cause electrical outages.
They chew on furniture, carpets, clothes, books, and other items. These items are expensive, and repairing and replacing them can be costly. They also chew through walls and insulation, which weakens the structure of your home and increases energy bills.
Disease
Mice can carry and transmit diseases like hantavirus, salmonellosis, and leptospirosis. Symptoms of these diseases include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fatigue, jaundice, muscle aches and difficulty breathing.
These diseases can be fatal in severe cases, especially when young children and the elderly are infected. They are spread from their droppings and urine, which contain harmful bacteria and viruses.
If you inhale dust particles containing dried droppings or come into contact with contaminated surfaces and then touch your face, you can become infected.
How To Get Rid Of Mice
Getting rid of mice requires not only removal but prevention and deterrence as well.
Prevention
Prevention methods make it physically difficult for mice to enter your homes.
Seal Entry Points
Mice have collapsible rib cages, enabling them to flatten themselves temporarily to squeeze through narrow cracks. They can squeeze through an opening the size of a dime.
To prevent mice from entering your home, perform a thorough inspection. Focus on areas where mice might be able to enter, like cracks in the foundation, around pipes, cables, wires, and vents, exterior walls with holes, and gaps around door and window frames.
Once you have identified the entry point, seal them up with caulk, steel wool, or other appropriate materials. Regularly inspect your caulking and sealing work, particularly after heavy rain or storms, to ensure it is uncompromised.
Maintain Cleanliness
Mice feed on anything and everything, depending on what they can find. Therefore, keeping your home clean can help prevent mice. Wipe away crumbs and spills promptly, keep your trash clean and tightly sealed, and empty it regularly.
Keep pantry staples like grains, cereals, and pet food in airtight containers to prevent mice from accessing and contaminating your food.
A clean home is also an uninviting environment for mice. They cannot hide or find nesting materials in a clean house. Do not hoard stuff in your basements, attics, and storage areas. Declutter these spaces often.
Regularly vacuum the floors, paying attention to corners and baseboards where crumbs and debris gather, and wipe down surfaces.
Deterrence
Detering mice from your home requires making your home unappealing and uninviting for mice. This means even if mice find a way in, they are discouraged from staying.
Mice hate the smell of essential oils. Essential oils like peppermint, clove, citronella, and eucalyptus have powerful aromas that these rodents detest. Mice have a keen sense of smell, which they use to navigate for finding food and nesting materials.
The strong scent of these oils disrupts their smell and irritates their respiratory system. You can create a DIY essential oil spray by mixing a few drops of oils with water in a spray bottle.
Lightly mist this solution around entry points and enclosed spaces with mice activity. You can also use essential oil diffusers to disperse the scent throughout a room.
Cayenne Pepper and Cloves
You can use cayenne pepper and cloves if you do not want to use essential oils. Cayenne pepper and cloves have pungent aromas that mice detest. The spiciness can irritate the rodents’ respiratory system.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper or place cloves in areas where mice are a problem. You might need to reapply frequently as the scent loses potency and, in turn, reduces its effectiveness over time.
Ultrasonic Mouse Repellent
Apart from disrupting their sense of smell, you can also disrupt their hearing to deter them from entering your homes. There are ultrasonic mouse repellents on the market that emit high-frequency sounds that annoy mice and other rodents, making them want to leave the area.
These sounds are inaudible to humans but irritating to animals with a keen sense of hearing. When using this device, select one with various frequency ranges to prevent mice from becoming accustomed to it.
Ensure you place it in areas with confirmed mouse activity and follow product label instructions on how to use it. Using this device alone might not be effective. Use it alongside other deterrents and preventive measures for a well-rounded approach.
Remove Food And Water Sources
Mice are attracted to areas with food and water, so remove possible food and water sources around your home and garden. If mice find food and water, they will stay, build a nest, and start populating. It will be hard to make them leave if they are satisfied with their living conditions.
Some food sources around your home are bird feeders with grains and seeds, compost, pet bowls with food, open trash cans, fountains, containers with standing water, ponds, and leaky taps and hoses. You cannot do much about the fountains and ponds, but the rest you can manage.
Cats are a great companion and can be a natural and effective way to deter mice from your home. If you do not already have one, you can consider owning one if you love cats and want to discourage mice from entering your home.
Cats are natural predators and have strong hunting instincts. They will not only catch mice, but their presence is a deterrent to rodents. After all, no mice want to be around cats.
The best part about this whole setup is that cats are long-term deterrents: Most of the methods on this list require continuous effort, like resetting traps, reapplying essential oil, or continuously removing food sources.
A cat will be a deterrent as long as they are around.
Removal
If you suspect, your home is already infested with mice, these are some removal techniques you can employ.
Humane Traps
There are several types of mouse traps available, but whatever you use, ensure it does not kill the rodent. Not only is it inhumane, it can be messy to clean up. Humane mouse traps capture mice but do not kill them, allowing you to release them.
There are two common types of humane mouse traps: catch-and-release traps and tilt traps. Catch-and-release traps have more than one entry point. Once the mouse enters the trap, the door closes automatically and prevents escape. The design allows you to remove the trap with the live mouse inside.
Tilt traps have a small platform balanced on a fulcrum, and when the mouse enters the trap, the trap tilts and causes the door to shut.
