Cartoon mice are cute and funny. Mice in children's books are often wise. But having mice as roommates? Not so cute....
Case Studies
An increase in the mouse population this year resulted in the rodents' moving indoors earlier than usual - before the cold weather set in. That caused a big jump in calls to local exterminators for mouse removal.
And homeowners and tenants, in usually futile attempts to rid their houses of mice themselves, have been snapping traps and poisons off store shelves as quickly as they are stocked.
The increase in house mouse infestations is attributed to a few factors, according to biologists and rodent control experts: normal cyclical highs and lows in mouse populations, a wet spring that produced a bumper crop of acorns and other seeds, and human encroachment on rodent habitat through building and road work.
Pete Jameson, owner of Cheshire-based Dynamic Pest Control, said not only has his company had a larger number of calls this autumn, his pest control suppliers have noticed a mouse increase. He attributed it to heavy rains in the spring that produced a bumper seed crop for mice to dine on, stay healthy and reproduce.
"Since early spring, we've received many more mice complaint calls, and those have remained consistently high," reported Pete. "We've had very few peaks or valleys, so to speak, in our call volume for rodents, and that is uncharacteristic for the region."
As mouse food sources dwindle in the autumn and winter, mice move indoors for food and shelter, said Mr. Jameson. Along with those seasonal habits, local construction and road work may have caused an earlier-than-usual move indoors. “While the rodent population may not be significantly greater this year, it could seem like this is the case because of factors such as human encroachment on rodent habitats, heavier rainfall than usual and cold temperatures that may impact nesting and food sources."
Rodent populations go through five- to six-year cycles, and this is likely a peak year. The population builds over time, and is impacted by the predator population, or disease, or a poor seed year, in which the population could crash. 2010 has been a good seed year. Besides acorns, this year's yield from ash trees, black cherry trees and maples provided culinary choices for mice. Bird feeders are another source.
Mice are particularly active right now - foraging and stockpiling food, building nests in sheltered places like foundations, basements and attics. Sometimes, rodents will stockpile food in car engines, and mice have been known to build nests in car air filters, which can cause fires.
The mouse usually referred to as a house mouse (Mus muculus) originates from Asia and is closely associated with human activities and urban environments. Ridding a house of mice requires a combination of steps. Most important of which, is making sure your house is sealed of holes and cracks.
"The first step is to button up the house. They can get through holes from electrical work and cable wires. You must seal up all holes," Mr. Jameson said. Mice prefer attics because they are the warmest place in the house, and can easily get there through plumbing and electrical wire spaces. In addition, if you are bringing holiday decorations in from outdoors, or attics, you should be aware that you may find unexpected critters in boxes.
Mr. Jameson, who charges £70 to £180 per home treatment, says he has received up to 60 rodent calls a day at times this year. He noted that in the poor economy, people tend to try to do it themselves at first. "But after a while, people give up on traps and chemicals," he said.
Article provided by Dynamic Pest Control