HOW TO GET RID OF MICE IN YOUR HOME
Mice: A Big Problem in a Pint-Sized Package
You see a shadow move from out of the corner of your eye. Then, you start noticing droppings along your baseboards, in the pantry, and maybe even on the kitchen countertops. You might as well face it: You have a mouse in the house—and probably more than one! Once you get over the “yuck” factor, there are some simple, no-nonsense steps you can take to get rid of mice in the house.
Quick Guide to Getting Rid of Mice in the House
Choose the type of mouse trap or bait station that best fits your needs.
Put mouse traps or bait stations in places where you see mouse droppings or other signs of activity.
Store food in sealed containers and don’t leave crumbs lying around.
Don’t leave out bowls of pet food.
Seal up all cracks and openings that lead outside.
Use Mice Behavior Against Them
Mice are creatures of habit—they like to take the same path to and from their nests. They’re also very curious, so they’ll check out any new thing along the way. Those two behaviors will help you control your mice problem. Put your traps or bait stations in several places where you see mouse poop. If you don’t catch a mouse within two days, move the trap or bait station to another spot.
Keep Food Away from Mice
Mice need a nice, warm place to live. Your house will do just fine. They also need only a little food, and not much water—the moisture in their food is enough. Make sure you store your grains and cereals in sealed containers. You should also store your fruit, potatoes, and other perishables in your refrigerator. Sweep or vacuum up any crumbs, and keep your garbage can lid on nice and tight. A tidy home will help reduce a mouse’s attraction to it!
Put Pet Food Away
If you leave a bowl of food outside for your dog, you’re effectively hanging out a sign on your home that says “Mouse Café”. If you leave some food in a bowl inside, it can compete with bait you’ve put out for rodents. So if you want to get rid of mice, put the leftover food away, especially at night, once Fido has eaten, to help avoid a mouse infestation.
Rodent and Animal Removal Specialists on Thumbtack cost
How much does rodent removal cost?
On average nationwide, professional rodent removal costs between $95 and $235, with the average cost to homeowners being $165. The exact price you’ll pay for this type of pest control depends on the size of your house and the type and number of rodents you have. The worse your rat, mouse, or other rodent problem, the longer it’ll take for a pest control company or exterminator to take care of removal, clean up and repairs.
Since nobody wants these pesky critters coming back, professionals will also clean up affected areas and make home repairs that can prevent pests from returning. Typically, these prices do not include the cost of repairing damage done to the house by rodents, beyond cleaning up urine, feces and other small messes. If the damage is particularly bad, consider hiring a home improvement specialist to help once you’ve finished with the removal.
To help you understand how much it will cost to hire an exterminator or wildlife control specialist to get rid of rodents in your home, this guide will break down extermination costs and what to expect in the pest removal process.
What impacts the cost of rodent removal?
Ultimately, your pest control costs reflect how much time and effort it will take to get rid of any unwanted animals in your home. To account for this, some pest control companies charge by the hour for rodent removals. Others have set-rate packages based on what animal has taken roost and how severe the infestation and damage is.
Inspection
Some rodent removal services, such as Pest Control, provide free inspections. They use this time to assess the extent of a pest problem and create a custom estimate based on what they have to do to exterminate or remove rodents from your home.
Ultimate Rodent Prevention Guide
You’re enjoying a quiet evening by reading in bed before turning in for the night. A small sound catches your attention for a moment, but you ignore it. A moment later you hear it again. This time you set your book down and listen. It’s a light scratching sound, but where is it coming from? Outside? You listen harder and hear it again, this time a little louder. It’s definitely not coming from outside. In fact, it sounds like it’s coming from your ceiling. Sure enough, the more you listen, the more sure you are. There is something moving around in your ceiling.
While any number of pests could have gotten into your house, you will likely hear rodents scratching and moving around at night. In some instances, you won’t hear rodents in your home, but you’ll discover their existence in other ways. Maybe you’ll find packages in your pantry with holes in them or find small black pellets on your counters or in your cupboards.
House Mice
House mice are the most common species of mice to give. residents’ trouble. Although they can live outdoors, they prefer structures, especially homes that provide a steady source of food and water. House mice like to nest in dark, secluded areas, so you’re likely to find their nests in your attic or within wall voids if they get into your house. House mice are usually gray with cream colored underbellies. They have pointed noses, large ears, and range in size from 2 ½” to 3 ¾” long. Their tails add another 2 ¾” to 4” to their total length.
Norway Rats
Norway rats are the most common type of rat to be found. You may know them as sewer rats. While they are quite comfortable living outdoors the majority of the time, they often find their way into homes when fall and winter arrive. Unlike roof rats, Norway rats prefer to stay at ground level or below, so they often build their nests in basements.
What Makes Rodents Dangerous
Rodents are dangerous for a few different reasons and on a few different levels. First, they cause a lot of damage to the places they frequent. Rodents gnaw on almost any object they can get their teeth on, which means that once they get into your house, they’re going to damage your belongings. That’s the least of your worries, though.
Get Rid of Rats and Mice
Rats and mice will quickly take advantage of any source of food or shelter. These rodents consume food discarded by humans, and they can fit through the tiniest of openings to access your home. Learn how to eliminate these pests from your home, and prevent them from returning.
The most common rodent pathways are sill ledges, fence rails, foundations, electrical wires, pipes, tree branches and conduits. Inspect your home, outbuildings and landscape for these rodent signs: droppings, gnaw marks and burrows.
Get Rid of Mice and Rats
The Three Lines of Defense
Most baiting programs start once an infestation is discovered. By baiting along the three lines of defense, you’re preventing an infestation from occurring.
Perimeter of the Property
Use tamper-resistant bait stations along the perimeter of your property. Use block bait as it can be secured inside bait stations on vertical or horizontal securing rods. Choose the correct product to reduce the risk of secondary poisoning to nontarget animals.
Exterior Baiting
Rodents tend to gravitate to warm air currents or where food odors emerge. Tamper-resistant bait stations or traps should be placed every 30 to 50 feet, depending on the severity of the infestation. Place bait or traps around every entry door.
Interior Baiting
Rodent device placement depends on the type of infestation. For mice, space placements at 8- to 12-foot intervals depending on the severity of the infestation. For rats, space placements at 15- to 30-foot intervals, depending on the severity of the infestation.
Rodents
Rats are one of the most common invasive and harmful pests found in homes across America. Able to squeeze into openings just a 1/4 inch around, rats are adept at getting into homes and businesses, while spreading diseases and causing destruction wherever they go
What are Norway rats?
Norway rats are a species of rodent known for their keen swimming ability, and are thus commonly found in or around bodies of water. They have heavy bodies with blunt noses, small ears, and small, bulging, black eyes.
Adult Norway rats measure between 7 and 9-1/2 inches in length. Their tails are shorter than their bodies, usually between 6 to 8 inches in length, and are bi-colored, with dark coloration on top and lighter color on the underside. Their fur is shaggy in appearance, usually brown and scattered with black hairs. The fur on their underside is lighter than the rest of their body.
Are Norway rats dangerous?
Yes, Norway rats are dangerous to both people and properties. Like other rodents, Norway rats need to constantly chew on objects to keep their front incisors from overgrowing; this habit will damage baseboards, walls, personal property, and even electrical wiring. Norway rats will contaminate food and food preparation areas with their urine, feces, and saliva. They also spread serious diseases and bacteria to people and pets, and they carry harmful parasites such as mites and fleas that will infest homes and businesses.
Why do I have a Norway rat problem?
Outside, Norway rats burrow in things like garbage piles, woodpiles, and under concrete slabs. Like other household pests, Norway rats are drawn inside to find food, water, and shelter. Norway rat infestations are most common inside homes and businesses in late fall and winter months when the weather outside pushes them to seek warmth, food, and shelter. This species of rats are poor climbers and, therefore, invade the basements, crawlspaces, and ground floors of homes and commercial properties.
