At Ledford’s, we concentrate on helping you get rid of small pests like termites, ants, spiders, and more, however, we know that mice are considered pests as well and they can be quite a nuisance if they decide to use your home as a shelter.
Once cold temperatures hit, mice and rats search for safe areas to keep warm, and if there’s an entry point in your home that’s big enough for them to scurry through, they’ll take advantage of it. Once they’re inside, they can easily chew or gnaw through furniture or walls to find a place for nesting and chew through softer items for nesting materials (including clothing, pillows, blankets, insulation, books, and more). What’s worse, these rodents tend to chew through nearly anything nearby, including electrical wires, which can cause shortages and in some cases, fires.
To keep mice and rats out of your home this fall and winter, take some advice from our Columbia pest control company:
Seal It Up
If you have any holes or cracks in your home, make sure that you seal them up with caulk or an expandable foam. These include openings in doors, windows, walls, cable outlets, chimney flashing, and any other area. Because they’re small mice can wiggle their way through even the smallest of holes, so sealing them up will help prevent entry.
Clean
In addition to shelter, mice are constantly seeking food, which means if your home is messy with crumbs, spills, unsealed containers, and other ways to easily access food, you may draw in some unwelcome visitors. Keep your home clean and you’ll decrease the chances of luring in mice.
Set Traps
If your home has been subject to mouse invasions before, you probably want to prevent a re-occurrence, and setting up some traps. Which you choose depends on your preference, but at our Columbia pest control company, we suggest using peanut butter, candies, chocolate, bacon bits (from actual bacon), bird seed, nuts, or maple syrup in your traps. Contrary to popular belief, mice don’t always like cheese.
Repellents
Today, there are a variety of mice repellents on the market that you can use around your home as a deterrent (including sprays, pouches, and pellets). If you like the more natural route, you can try things like peppermint oil, fabric softener sheets, moth balls, cloves, or ammonia, which are all said to ward off mice.
Get a Cat
Simple enough, right? Both indoor and outdoor cats can be great for keeping mice away (and getting rid of them if they get inside), so if you’ve always wanted a cat, here’s one more reason to get one.
