As winter approaches and temperatures start to drop, little furry creatures such as mice look to your home for sanctuary and warmth to help them survive the cold months ahead. However, there are a few easy steps you can take right now that, along with a little professional help, will go a long way in keeping mice and rodents out of your home all winter long.
First, close the door on any uninvited guests by sealing up cracks, holes, or other access points that mice could fit through. Keep in mind that mice can squeeze through any hole that their head can fit through, which can be as small as a dime (see picture below).
When winter arrives with its cold temperatures and harsh winds, you probably think your home looks extra cozy. Unfortunately, mice do too! That’s why you need to know how to get rid of mice, even in winter.
Fortunately, taking a few steps now (along with a little professional help when necessary) can go a long way to keep mice and rodents out of your home.
Here are a few “fun facts” about rodents:
- Their teeth never stop growing, so they must chew constantly to prevent their teeth from extending too far. In homes, they often chew on wiring, which can cause electrical problems and even lead to fires!
- Their skeletons and bodies are extremely flexible, so they can fit through the smallest of gaps. Their travel is really only limited by the size of their skulls. Mice can fit through a gap about the size of a dime, and rats can fit through a gap about the size of a nickel! (A juvenile rodent can go through spaces even smaller than that.)
- Rodents are great climbers and are able to scale almost any rough surface—including wires, pipes, and fences—to get to where they want to go.
- They transmit a number of dangerous diseases, including Salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, Leptospirosis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, and—yes—even the plague. Rodents may also transmit other diseases indirectly if they are infested with disease-bearing fleas. In addition to these health hazards, they can also contaminate food and aggravate allergies.
- Rodents reproduce quickly: mice, for example, reach reproductive age a little more than a month after birth. They can then breed year-round, reaching 5-10 litters per year, with each litter averaging 6-8 offspring. Do the math, and that’s a lot of mice!
All that said, would you want rodents in your home?
We didn’t think so. But how do you keep them out? You can be sure that this winter, mice and rats will try to invade your home in order to escape the cold. The good news is that there are steps you can take to rodent-proof your home, and Scherzinger Pest Control is here to help.
Let’s talk more about rodent-proofing your home.
What You Can Do to Keep Rodents Out
Rodents can fit through the smallest of spaces, which means it’s important to seal all potential entry points into your house. Here are some common places through which rodents enter homes:
- Foundation cracks
- Gaps around windows and doors
- Gaps in shingles and chimneys
- Improperly sealed utility pipes, water and gas lines, heating/air conditioning ducts, and exhaust vents
- Poorly fitted garage doors
- Overhanging branches and shrubs close to your walls and foundation
We recommend inspecting the foundation, walls, windows, doors, and roof of your home for gaps larger than 1/4-inch. These gaps should then be filled.
There are a wide variety of materials available to fill gaps and keep rodents out, including caulk, concrete, brick and mortar, wire mesh, foam, metal siding, or metal rodent guards. The material you choose will depend on the location and size of the gap. You may also want to keep in mind which rodent(s) you want to keep out. (Rats are stronger than mice and can chew through tougher material.)
In addition to blocking all entry points, you can also make your home less attractive to rodents. In general, this means keeping your doors closed (especially your garage door) and your home clean and free of available food. Here are our suggestions:
- Seal inside and outside trash cans. Keep outside trash cans as far from the house as possible.
- If you have bird feeders, place them far away from the home. (The seeds that fall to the ground are beloved by squirrels and other rodents alike.)
- Keep pantry items and pet food in airtight, sealed containers. Try not to leave uneaten pet food in bowls on the ground.
- Clean your kitchen regularly. Don’t leave crumbs lying around: wipe off countertops and sweep the floor.
By taking these steps, you can help prevent rodents from wreaking havoc in your home.
Keeping Mice Out
When it comes to rodents, mice are especially good at finding ways to enter places they aren’t supposed to. They’re small and flexible. In fact, mice can squeeze through any hole that their head can fit through, which can be as small as a dime! (See picture below.)
As a result, keeping mice out of your home can be tricky. However, it is doable if you’re thorough!
To keep mice out, it’s important to seal up any cracks, holes, or other access points that mice could fit through. That might be a lot of places in your home. Here are a few places to check and fix:
- Tiny openings in basements and garages
- Gaps around windows, cable and utility wiring, and light fixtures
- Large gaps at the bottom of doors
- Uncovered exterior vents
When it comes to closing the door on mice, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Use silicon, caulk, or steel mesh to seal up any and all cracks and crevices. Gaps at the bottom of doors can be fixed with a door sweep. Exterior vents can be closed with mesh screens.
Removing the Welcome Mat
After you’ve done all you can to keep mice from entering your home, it’s time to remove the welcome mat. That way, any mice that might find their way into your home won’t want to stay.
Like all creatures, mice need food and water. Make sure your home isn’t unintentionally offering up a mouse buffet! Here are a few ways to secure your food from hungry mice:
- Keep kitchen counters and tables free of food.
- Store pantry items (grains, cereals, etc.) in glass, metal, or Tupperware containers. (Mice can easily gnaw through paper and plastic packaging.) Don’t forget to do the same for pet food, also!
- Clean up crumbs and spills as soon as they happen.
- Secure trash by using a receptacle with a sealing lid.
- Fix any water leaks.
- Keep wood piles (where mice can take up residence) stacked far away from your home.
The goal here is to make your home as inhospitable as possible for mice.
Finally, know that just having a cat or dog isn’t enough to get rid of mice. Many homeowners with pets develop a mouse problem. If your home otherwise has everything that mice need, they’ll brave the danger!
Getting Rid of Mice
If you find a mouse (or two, three, or more) has already entered your home this winter, how do you get rid of it?
First, don’t wait until spring cleaning to take action. Mice can carry dangerous infectious diseases, and their mere presence in your home can risk your health and your family’s health.
Also, avoid DIY methods that don’t work and can be dangerous.
Instead, if you have a mouse infestation, contact your local pest control company as soon as possible. An experienced pest control professional can help you identify where the mice are getting in, locate the nest, and provide safe and effective solutions to get rid of mice.
Contact Us Today
Looking for professional help to get rid of mice in your home?
Scherzinger Termite and Pest Control is a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or via web inquiry, Facebook, or Twitter.
