How to Protect Your Home from Mice

As temperatures continue to drop and our thermostats continue to climb, our homes are starting to become an inviting place for mice to make their winter home. This is particularly true if you live in heavily wooded areas, though we’ve seen plenty of mice and other rodents in city settings as well.

It’s important to stay on top of any potential infestations, as mice usually live in groups. If you see one, there are bound to be others. The most obvious signs of an invasion is finding droppings around the house, often in dirty or cluttered areas. But they can even live in the walls for a while, eating away at wooden or beams, drywall, insulation, or even wiring. What’s more, mice can carry both diseases and other pests into your home, such as ticks or fleas (particularly dangerous if you have pets).

Of course, prevention is the best way to fight a mice infestation, and now’s the perfect time of year to make sure your house is in top mice-repelling shape before it gets too cold—or too late. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Seal It Up

Mice are extremely flexible little creatures that can find their ways into homes through small cracks or holes in foundations or walls. Walk around both the inside and outside of your house, looking for and filling in any potential openings that mice could get in. Fill them with caulk or expanding foam spray. Also, check out the walls and corners around your home, and fill in any openings on that end as well. This will help prevent mice from getting into your walls and home.

Keep It Clean

Mice love clutter, both inside and outside your home. On the inside, clean up any piles of old clothes, either putting them away in a closet (treated for moths, of course), or at least in some sort of sealable plastic container. Neither of these are foolproof for preventing mice from making a next, but it’ll go a long way towards removing an attractive environment.

Additionally, mice love to nest in piles of paper, so be sure to clean out any old magazines, books, newspapers, or even record albums that might be cluttering your basement or garage.

Finally, if you have a pantry, be sure to clean it out thoroughly. Mice love to gnaw through packages of flour, pasta, rice, or other grains. Remove any partially opened packages, placing contents in a sealable container, and wipe down the shelves to remove any loose pieces of food.

Of course, if you follow these tip and you still see signs of mice (or spot them) in your house, call us! We can safely and ecologically treat infested areas of your home so you don’t have to worry about any unwelcomed guests!