Time To Go On The Defensive

The alarm rings. You rise in the dark. You stumble into the kitchen. You flip on the light. AAAACK!!! No, not a burglar. This instant heart failure has been brought to you by a creature no bigger than a nectarine stone.

Autumn is prime time for mouse encounters. It's getting cold outside, so in they come where it's not only warm and toasty, but there's also a 24-hour buffet being served.

While voles and shrews can wander in, too, it's less likely. Voles are more interested in vandalising trees and shrubs outside. And shrews need to devour three times their body weight a day, which for us would be like wolfing down a couple hundred large pepperoni pizzas. So unless your house is well stocked with the kinds of things they like – slugs, spiders, anything dead or alive (including each other) – they don't stick around long.

Mostly, it's the Mus musculus, or the common house mouse you'll be dealing with. And are they ever grateful. You give them food and shelter; they give you chocolate sprinkles in your silverware drawer. However, it's what you can't see that's even more revolting – they lack bladder control. And they "go" constantly, whizzing their way across floors, counters and cutting boards.

Fortunately, this weakness allows your pest control officer to place traps in the best places as a black light can be used to illuminate their travel routes.

Go On The Defensive

Now is the time to go on the defensive, and that begins with a careful inspection of the outside of your house. Seal all holes and cracks with materials rodents can't chew through. Rather than steel wool, which is often recommended for plugging holes, use the copper version since it won't rust.

Anywhere wires and pipes pass through walls is a potential entryway. Check windows, doors, foundation, vents. If you can see daylight streaming beneath your garage door, mice can stream in, too. All it takes is about a quarter-inch gap.

Once entry points are sealed, it's about keeping things clean. Sweep up all kitchen debris immediately. Don't leave food on the counter or crumbs on the cutting board. Keep all rice, beans and so forth in heavy plastic, metal or glass containers. Same goes for pet food.

Killing Them

Say you've done all that prevention and still you've got mice. Time to tap into your inner exterminator.

In terms of cost, it's hard to beat the classic snap traps. But there are some tricks. Placement is everything. Typically, you set traplines along walls and skirting boards, since mice don't like to travel in the open. If that fails, try setting them at an angle. Mice, which have poor eyesight, use their whiskers to feel their way along surfaces and are more likely to walk over the top of, rather than around, a trap in an angled position. You could also leave the traps unset for a few days so the mice get used to them.

Peanut butter mixed with oatmeal makes the best bait. And keep reusing the same trap. The more it smells like a mouse the better. If you can't stand that, try rubbing a little sesame oil into the wood to mask the human scent.

Glue boards are the rodent equivalent of No-Pest strips. Mice that get stuck on them aren't going anywhere. But they also aren't necessarily dead when you find them.

Poisons, which are controversial, work by causing internal bleeding and dehydration, and must be placed where children and pets can't reach. Also be aware that poisoned mice are likely to die in places you can't reach, either. They could start to smell and draw carrion beetles and other pests.

Live trapping is another option, but don't just turn them loose outside as they'll come right back in. Take them for a nice car ride and drop them off in the garden of someone you don't like.

If all fails, you could call an exterminator who will be able to deal with your mouse infestation effectively and efficiently.

Article provided by SDA Pest Control