If you have little children in your house, you know how much they adore characters like Mickey Mouse and Tom and Jerry. But as a homeowner, you also know that a mice infestation is one of the last things you would like to deal with given the surreptitious nature of these creatures. So, you need to understand the modus operandi of these pesky creatures before you tackle them. Following are some guidelines.
How to know if you have mice?
Mice leave behind certain signs which help you identify an infestation. Their droppings are the easiest way of knowing their presence and indicate that they have discovered a source of food. Mice, though nocturnal creatures, still declare their presence by the scratching and squeaking sounds that they make. Another way of knowing their presence is by the holes they make in bags of food as mice are great chewers. They can also be identified by the strange and musky smell that they bring to the place they infest, and this is caused by their urine. If you find mice and if you are unable to control it, you should immediately call a reputed Pest control Sydney service to get rid these pests.
Why do mice arrive?
An apartment being a place where multiple families reside in the same building, the chance of a rodent invasion is much greater. You may think that your home, being clean, will not attract rodents. But that is not correct as you have no control over how neighbours maintain their homes. A single neighbour with unsanitary habits is enough to attract mice and bring about a building-wide problem. An older building with gaps and holes is easily accessible to mice.
They cause diseases
The grim reality about mice is that they can spread diseases. The life-threatening Hantavirus is one such disease that is spread by rodents, especially deer mice. Salmonella, which is a food borne disease, can be spread by mice when they contaminate food or surfaces where food is made. This means that you should always discard food bags or containers that have holes made by mice. Another disease that occurs from exposure to mouse saliva, fresh urine, droppings, or nesting materials is LCMV, which causes severe neurological problems.
How to get rid of them?
There are four ways in which you can go about a DIY mouse eviction job.
1. Clean up
The first and most vital step that you can take to shoo mice from your home is cleaning. You must ensure that mice cannot touch your food. Thus, you should keep them in tightly sealed containers or inside the refrigerator. You should not leave uncovered fruit bowls on the table or open bags of chips lying here and there.
You should not leave unclean dishes around the house or in the sink, dispose of your trash regularly and clean your kitchen counters every day.
2. Locate their entry points
Figuring out how mice entered your house can be tricky. You should fill up cracks, patch holes and consider fixing windows that may have been entry points. By plugging in all potential weak points, you minimize the risk of mice returning.
3. Set a trap or try a bait
A good old mousetrap that uses the snap mechanism is one of the best ways to catch a mouse. To attract mice to the trap, you can use popular stuff like peanut butter, bacon, oatmeal, chocolate, or dried fruit. If you are not fond of snap traps, you can use a glue trap that does not need bait but need to be placed in an area where mice are active. Here, the mouse walks over the trap and gets stuck in place without being killed. This leaves the task of disposing it to you.
4. Checking baits and traps often
Once you start using traps, you must come back to check them often. The body of a mouse killed by a snap trap will start decomposing and the smell can become nasty if you leave the trap unattended. Another reason for checking traps is finding out if they are being effective.
Thus, with the right steps, you can get rid of mice from your home for good. In serious cases it would be wise to take help of a reputed and professional Mice Control Sydney service which will help you in eliminating the perils messing up your kitchen and hygiene.
