When compared to rats, mice are almost a welcomed pest…the key word being almost. Although they may be more pleasant to look at, mice are just as harmful to health and home as their more unsightly counterparts, as they can contaminate food, spread disease, and cause substantial damage to the structure of your home.

If you have spotted mice scurrying along your floorboards, your highest priority should be getting them out, but that is often easier said than done. Many homeowners find that, no matter how many DIY treatments they perform, these pests just won’t go away. If mice have become a perpetual problem in your home, make sure you aren’t committing one of these three cardinal mistakes:

1. You Use Glue Traps

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when treating mice is relying on glue traps to do their dirty work. Not only is this method ineffective at treating an infestation, it can also be harmful to humans and the environment.

When mice come in contact with one of these traps, they typically only drag them around until they break free. The next thing you know, you are spending hours searching your home trying to locate these traps, and rarely find a dead mouse attached to it. It is better to avoid using lethal traps altogether, especially those that rely on poisons to kill the mice, as they can be dangerous for your family, pets, and the environment.

2. You Don’t Block Entry Points

Many homeowners think that removing the few mice roaming their home via traps is enough to ward off an infestation, but this method will only serve as a temporary solution. In order to effectively prevent mice infestations, you must also eliminate the access points where they enter your home.

Mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime, so be sure to perform a thorough inspection of the perimeter of your home, looking for even the smallest of entry points, in order to keep them out. Once located, seal all cracks and holes with caulk or physical barriers to prevent mice from finding food, water, and shelter in your home.

3. You Don’t Eliminate Food and Water Sources

Although many pests enter a home for protection against the elements, chances are they found their way indoors in search of food and water. No matter what pests you are dealing with, the first step you should always take is eliminating the things they need to survive. If your home provides easy access to food and water, you might as well be laying a welcome mat for their arrival.

Begin by sealing all food and storing it in containers that mice cannot chew through, and be sure to remove your trash on a regular basis if it contains food scraps. Next, search your home for areas with standing water, whether it be a broken pipe or a leaky faucet. Any pooling water will provide ample resources for the mice to survive, and they should be cleaned up immediately.

Contact a Pest Control Professional

If you have committed the aforementioned mistakes, or simply can’t get mice out of your home, contact your local pest control professional for the assistance you need. At Greenleaf Pest Control, we offer the complete and effective removal of all mice from your home by combining our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program with Environmental Pest Management (EPM) principles. Together, these treatments allow us to effectively remove all mice from your home while minimizing or completely eliminating the use of chemicals during the treatment process. Once eliminated, we will establish physical barriers and give you the knowledge and tools you need to prevent future infestations.

There is no cure-all solution to treating any type of pest, and invasive mice are no exception. The best way to keep a home free of these pests is to actively prevent their arrival. By eliminating food and water sources, and preventing access through sealing entry points, you can greatly reduce the probability that mice will choose your home as their next nesting site. If you have any questions or concerns about mice control, contact your local mouse exterminator in Toronto for the safe and effective assistance you need.

 

About the Author:

Daniel Mackie, co-owner of Greenleaf Pest Control, is a Toronto pest control expert well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation for the successful eradication of bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener.