How To Get Rid of Mice

FACTS ABOUT MICE

Because mice are nearly blind, they tend to travel around the outside perimeter of a room using the walls as guides. Furthermore, rarely do they venture more than 6 feet away from their nests.

Therefore, if you see droppings, place your bait or traps along the wall near the sighting. The expectation to this close-to-home rule is when their nesting area becomes so over-populated that food is scarce forcing them to risk traveling outside their secure comfort zone to search for food.

NEVER PROCRASTINATE WHEN IT COMES TO MICE!

Should you see evidence of a mouse, namely scat, (droppings); stop what you're doing and rush to your local hardware or building supply store to purchase something to destroy them. With an average litter of ten babies, one pregnant mouse with the help of her mate can multiply exponentially-faster than a chain letter. The babies start breeding at 6 to 8 weeks old and can delivery a new litter of 10, every 21 days. Therefore, in about 100 days, that pregnant mouse and her mate can be potentially responsible for a colony of 1,000 mice. (This is assuming the worst-case scenario and the unlikely event that all of the mice born are female).

The Deadly Little Mouse on the Prairie

Deer mice, particularly in Albert the Canadian Prairies, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, and Washington have been reported of carrying the fatal viral disease of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, (HPS).

Even though HPS is carried in the saliva and excreta, (droppings) of Deer Mice, they and do not appear to be sicken themselves. The virus can become air borne compromising the respiratory system of exposed humans.

Symptoms of HPS

The symptoms of HPS mirrors those of any other viral respiratory infection and develops 1 to 3 weeks after exposure. HPS has an alarming 36% mortality rate and for those that survive, it takes several weeks to months to fully recover.

PREVENTION of HPS Infection

Air out infested spaces before cleanup.

Spray areas of infestation and all excreta, nesting, and other materials with household disinfectant or 10% bleach solution, then clean up, seal in bags, and dispose.

Avoid sweeping, vacuuming, or stirring dust until the area is thoroughly wet with disinfectant.

Wear rubber gloves; disinfect gloves, masks before removal, and wash hands afterwards.

In areas where plague occurs, spray insecticide on trapped rodents and nesting materials to prevent fleas from abandoning rodents to find new hosts.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT METHOD OF EXTERMINATION FOR YOU

Humane Live "Smart Traps" With a humane "Smart Trap" you catch the mice live and unharmed. You will need to take it outside somewhere away from your house and release it back into the wild. If you choose this method, make sure you take it far enough away that it will not re-enter your home. Before you place the trap, figure out where you will release it.

If you live in an area with a high incident of HPS, releasing infected mice back into the wild is not advised.

TIP: Because of the stronger odor and it is easier to spread , the best baits for attracting mice is not cheese but peanut butter or creamy chocolate.

Old Fashion Snap Traps

This style of wooden snap trap has been around doing their job for decades but is not necessarily the best trap for the job. They are tricky to set and the rodents may trigger the device by walking over it causing it to snap shut without killing the mouse. Once a mouse has triggered a trap without dying, they can become trap-wise and avoid the traps in the future.

Mouse and Rat Zapper

With this device, you place bait such as dry pet food at the back of the trap. Switch on the device that is powered by 4 AA alkaline batteries. When a mouse or rat enters the device, it triggers a sensor to deliver a fatal electrical shock. This device is considered safer than poisons and standard traps for pets and children but still need to be placed out of reach such as behind appliances.

Electronic Sonic Devices

Since the invention of cell phones, a new rodent control method has emerged. With these devices, a high pitch sound is broadcasted that drives away mice with their sensitive hearing. For the best results, install one on each level of your home.

Though it is not considered harmful, some children, pets and even adults with sensitive hearing may hear the device. This is an excellent method of keeping mice out of garages, basements, and workshops, etc.

If you have a hunting camp or cabin in the woods, that does not have electricity, consider installing a solar panel with enough energy to power one of these devices. This way you will not have to abandon the hunting camp to the rodents.

Poison

Poison is a highly effective way to get rid of your rodent problem but can be harmful to your pets and children. Rodents who consume the poison are supposed to leave the house in search of water. Though this sounds good in theory, in reality poison rodents can often be found very near the poisoned bait.

Caution: If you live in a rural area and depend on a well for your drinking water supply, you may not wish to use poison. The poisoned mice suffer from internal hemorrhaging causing them to have an insatiable thirst. They will crawl to any and all water source, perhaps even into your well.

Sticky Glue Boards and Traps

This is the most inhumane method. The mice become stuck extremely sticky surface when they run across it. Because they are stuck to the glue, they are unable to go for food or water and eventually starve to death in a few days. As the die, you can hear them squealing in terror over the sound of your television. Therefore, we recommend that you do not consider this method.

Call an Exterminator

A professional exterminator can make your mouse infestation problem go away and they guarantee their work! If you are really infested with mice, or live in an area that is a high HPS risk, perhaps this is the fastest and best solution for you to consider.

Consider having your furnace ductwork professionally cleaned after mouse infestation.

Preventing mouse infestation

Keep food preparation, cooking, food, (including pet food) areas and storage facilities covered and clean.

Contain and elevate garbage bins.

Seal holes and enterY ports, if possible by nailing a metal plate such as flashing, across the opening. If that is not possible such as with a small crack, stuff the crack with steel wool. The steel wool cuts their noses and their feet and they will give up and try to find another warm place to invade.
Once you have the steel wool in place, you can seal up the crack against drafts with spray foam or caulking.

Don't become a statistic.

Just because there has never been a recorded outbreak of HP in your area, don't risk being the first by taking all the precautions when cleaning up mouse scat.

For more information about mice and Home Repair and Maintenance, visit www.HandymanHelp.info