Once mice have gained access to your home, the effects can be devastating. Each year a female mouse can have up to
10 litters of young, quickly causing an infestation. In a single year, a female may have five to 10 litters of usually
five or six young each. Young are born 19 to 21 days after mating, and they are mature in six to 10 weeks. The life span
of a mouse is about nine to 12 months. Thus the key to controlling mouse populations is in preventing them from entering
your home in the first place.
The first thing to do is to check around the house foundation for any openings greater than a quarter inch. Check any pipes or
wires that pass through the house to make sure they have been properly sealed. These can include water faucets, utility meters,
dryer vents, and various wires. Polyurethane foam and wire mesh can be used to seal up these types of entry points. Don’t use
materials that mice can gnaw through to gain entry, such as wood, rubber, or fine screening.
Be sure that openings such as dryer vents are securely screened to keep rodents out. Check to see that windows and doors have a tight fit
and cover exposed wood surfaces with metal. Loose roof shingles could also provide an opening for mice. Mice can gnaw through the weather
stripping at the bottom of a garage door to gain entry to a house.
The roof and attic area is a key area to inspect. Damaged or missing screening on an attic exhaust vent is can allow mice to gain entry.
Improperly fitted roof ventilators can also provide access points.
The immediate exterior of a house should be kept clear of any items that could be used as nesting sites. Stacked fireplace logs or building
materials can provide sheltered areas. If mice are nesting in places immediately adjacent to your house, it won’t be long before they attempt
to find a way inside.
Weeds and plant litter that could provide mice with nesting materials should be kept well clear of the house foundation. Lawn areas close to the house
should be regularly mowed to remove nesting materials and keep access areas clear.
Food storage is another area in need of attention. You should take steps to protect any place where food is stored or used. Airtight containers such as
glass jars can be used to store dry food, including pet food. Keeping the kitchen and dining areas clean will help you detect rodent activity if it occurs.
Mice need food and shelter to support their population and breeding. Eliminating house entry points and barring access to foodstuff can greatly reduce the
possibility of a rodent infestation. If this is not done, the chances of success from an elimination program drop greatly.
Because they carry disease and can damage your property, you need to be serious about eliminating mice from your living environment.
Go back to the
How to get rid of mice in the attic home page. You might also want to read about
how to kill mice and why the use
of snap traps is better than
mouse poison. Read an analysis of the different types of traps and how to use them on the
how to trap mice page.
Learn why
bait is not as important as trap type, placement and location. Also read a full analysis of
mouse repellent to understand why it
never works. If you see droppings and want to identify them, read the
mouse poop page. If you need to hire professional help, read about
how much does mouse removal cost?
or you can read this site to learn how to do it yourself. Feel free to email me about Modifying Your Property to Keep Mice Out
Read more mouse information here:
Do relocated mice survive?
Do cats keep rats and mice away?
Do dogs keep rats and mice away?
Do mice chew pex or other water pipes?
Do rodents eat insects?
Biology of the Mouse
Do mice like rats and mice feel pain?
Do mothballs or ammonia help repel mice?
FASTEST WAY TO GET RID OF MICE:
How do I clean house mouse feces out of my attic?
How to get mice out of the garage
How big the mice can get
HOME REMEDIES TO GET RID OF MICE:
How do you remove a house mouse stuck in a garbage can or other place?
How to get mice out of blown insulation
What is a house mouse’s mating habits?
How Mice Communicate Using Pheromones
How to find and remove a dead house mouse
Humane mouse traps
Is a house mouse feces dangerous to touch or breathe?
Mice Infestations Can Create Heavy Damage in Attics
How to trap mice - how to catch a mouse
How to keep mice out of my garden
How to get mice out of your car
Humane mouse removal get rid of them without hurting them
How to keep mice out of my garbage
How to inspect a house for house mouse entry holes.
Does poison make mice thirsty and die outside
What are some humane ways to kill a house mouse?
Modifying Your Property to Keep Mice Out
Types of house mouse snap traps
What are some of the symptoms of a sick house mouse?
mouse poop photos feces
How to use one-way exclusion funnels to remove mice without trapping them
What attracts mice?
What Can Mice Climb?
What diseases do mice carry?
What should I do with a house mouse after I catch it?
What is the best bait to trap a house mouse?
What should I do if I find a nest of mice in the attic?
What if a house mouse got inside my house, bedroom, kitchen, etc?
Can Mice Chew Through Anything?
What to do about a trap-shy house mouse
Which is easier to trap - mice or rats?
What is a house mouse’s natural diet?
Will a pest control company remove a house mouse?
Why Mice Chew on Wires
What to do about a house mouse on the roof
What equipment is needed to trap a house mouse?
Will a strobing light or high pitch sound deterrent machine work on mice?
Will a house mouse in the attic have a nest of babies?
Will homeowners insurance pay for house mouse damage?
How much does mouse removal cost?
Will repellents get a house mouse out of the attic?
