Mice Removal: A Multi-Prong Approach
If mice have found their way into your home, you can't just set a few traps and consider the problem solved. Traps may catch a few mice, but they won't control the entire population. Instead, it will take a multi-prong approach to eradicate the pests. The following are four things that must be done if you want to be successful.
1. Seal Entrances
Quite simply, mice find their way into your home from the great outdoors. They can go anywhere and through any opening as long as their skull fits through, so even small holes are a danger. A full exterior wall inspection should be the first step for rodent control. Seal up any holes in your foundation or siding, paying special attention to where pipes and cables enter through the walls. Further, upgrade the weather sealing around doors and windows so that there are no gaps. Vents and similar openings should be screened with metal mesh so mice can't chew their way in.
2. Remove Food Sources
Mice come inside for two main reasons: warm, safe nesting sites, and food. You can discourage most rodent invasions by ensuring there is no food. Keep floors swept and counters clean, and make sure all food items are stored in sealed rodent-proof containers. Outside, clean up weeds and brush piles that are near your home. If you have fruiting trees or plants, pick up the debris often so it doesn't attract rodents. Compost piles must be placed well away from the home.
3. Set Up Monitoring Stations
Monitoring or bait stations serve a couple of purposes. They let you know if mice have made their way into the house, so you can plan for extermination if a rodent takes the bait. Further, an exterminator can use the bait stations to help track a mouse to a possible nest location, allowing the exterminator to take care of the problem at its origin. There are several types of stations used, including spring and glue traps, removable bait stations, and humane cage-style traps.
4. Bring In an Exterminator
If mice do make their way indoors, don't try to handle it yourself. Mice are small and tricky, so it can be nearly impossible to get rid of all of them without some professional help. An exterminator will use several methods to handle the problem. These include finding and removing nests by hand, laying out poison bait to be taken back to the nest, and using other targeted means to get the mice without harming pets or people in the home.
Contact a rodent treatment service in your area for more help.