House mice have short hair that can be black, gray or light brown in color and lighter bellies. Their tails and ears also have hair but much less compared to that on their bodies. Adult mice can weigh up to 30 grams and can be 20 cm from the nose to the tail tips.
They love wooded and grassy areas where they build nests but they can also easily turn your home into their grounds. The house mice are opportunistic feeders and will therefore anything that is available.
When you have a mice infestation in your home, your health and structure and even documents remain at risk. You want to take action as soon as you see signs of an infestation which could be anything from rod shaped droppings that are sharp on both ends, sighting of the mice roaming or running around your house, tunnels and burrows, footprints, sounds and chewing or gnawing is a very common sign. Urine odor can also be a very good indication that you have a mice infestation.
Controlling an infestation
Sanitation – What you need to remember is that house mice can survive with limited shelter and food, making it harder for you to fully control them. However, sanitation is still very important in ensuring that you do not attract the mice into your home. Clear out food sources and get rid of junk around the home because it makes perfect homes for the mice.
You should also clear out any bushes and grassy areas around the home so it is harder for the mice to thrive around accessing the home easily. A few changes can make big improvements around your home as far as the house mice go.
Improve your structures – Building out the house mice is one of the more permanent ways of getting rid of infestations. Eliminate all openings that offer entry points to the mice and seal out cracks and crevices. You should also choose vents that are not large holed and select construction materials of patching materials that cannot be chewed or pulled off by the mice.
Another good way of improving the home so it is less prone to the mice infestations is ensuring your screens, windows and doors are tightly fitted so they also close well.
Treat the infestation – This can be done using baits and traps. Baits are poisonous usually in pellet or grain form. You only need to be strategic with the locations where you place your bait and make sure that you get highly formulated baits that won’t disappoint you.
There are so many baits in the market and some are more effective than others. Choose a reputable brand when getting your rodenticide and follow the instructions of use to get the best results with the treatment.
Trapping can be a good treatment when you are sure that you only have a few mice in your house and when you are sure of the areas they frequent. Having cats at home can also be a great way of keeping house mice infestations at bay.
