Mice Control

Mice are everywhere. Gaining access through garage doors, loading bays, structural foundations, and any opening they can squeeze through. Countless thousands of mice reside outside and inside of our houses and commercial properties. With the human population showing no signs of slowing down, new housing construction is booming. Housing goes up fast and mice move in just as quickly. Many new housing developments experience a mouse or rodent problem both during, and after construction has been completed. It’s recommended that residents do their best to keep garbage that is outside, stored in secured containers and sealing up any gaps or openings to reduce the chance of rodents entering or re-entering their residence.

Description And Overview
With a remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, the mouse is one of the most successful mammalians on Earth. The onset of cold weather each fall in temperate regions causes them to move indoors in search of shelter and food. Mice and rodents frequently gain access to homes and businesses through open garage doors or structural openings. Rodents can multiply rapidly causing an infestation to develop throughout your home or business. As the rodents forage they will likely come into contact with unsecured food products as well as kitchen surfaces, dishware, and kitchen utensils. Mice have poor eyesight but amazing hearing and sense of smell and tend to be nocturnal. Gestation lasts 19-21 days, with a litter of 3-14 young. Since each female can have 5 to 10 litters per year, the mouse population can increase very quickly. Breeding occurs throughout the year and the lifespan of a mouse can last approximately 2 years in duration.

Signs Of A Rodent Infestation
1. Chewed food packaging from stored food
2. Holes in walls, chewed house framing from rodents sharpening their teeth or to create entryways
3. Foul smell coming from the walls or other hidden areas could indicate a rodent problem is present
5. Damage to couch cushions or other similar material (used for nest building)
6. Fecal matter. (Mouse fecal matter is dark in color and about the same size and shape as a grain of rice)
7. Sightings

Health Concerns Caused By Rodents
In certain contexts, mice are considered vermin and can spread diseases through their parasites and feces. In North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with infected mouse excrement has been linked to hantavirus which may lead to HPS – hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Only 5 rodents are known to be carries of HPS in North America.
These include: the deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, cotton rat, and the red-backed vole. HPS is an extremely rare disease, but it can be fatal.

Symptoms typically appear 1 to 3 weeks after exposure

Mild symptoms include:
Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headaches, muscle pain, tiredness, dizziness, coughing, fever, and chills.

Severe symptoms include:
Shortness of breath, Extreme difficulty breathing

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms consistent with HPS, and you think you may have ingested, inhaled or come into contact with infected rodent feces, urine or saliva, seek immediate medical attention.

Will Ultrasonic Devices Solve My Rodent Problem?
Unfortunately not. Many of the products that can be bought from your local hardware store claim a lot of different things when it comes to controlling rodents, but these products don’t actually provide any benefits when it comes to controlling active populations. One of the problems is that the ultrasonic devices are not capable of sending ultrasonic waves around corners, or through objects or walls, making their effectiveness as a deterrent very limited. There are many reasons why these ultrasonic devices don’t work for pest control purposes. If we look at online reviews of ultrasonic rodent devices, we find that they are inconsistent. The majority of people who have used ultrasonic devices for the purpose of rodent control all seem to agree, that the repellents do not fix their rodent problem. Although there is some evidence that suggests that ultrasonic devices can deter rodents for a short time, they do not exterminate them.

Some Tips For Prevention Include:

1. Remove any clutter from around your home, garage, storage shed, etc.
2. Maintain the landscape by trimming away tall grass and cutting back weeds from around your home, garage or storage shed.
3. Secure indoor and outdoor garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids, and remove all waste on a regular basis.
4. Remove or relocate any woodpiles, organic debris, yard waste, or clutter away from your home or surrounding structures.
5. Keep food waste such as eggs or meat products out of compost sites.
6. Eliminate any nearby sources of water such as leaky outdoor taps, pipes, etc.
7. Clean indoor food prep areas regularly such as the stove, behind and underneath the refrigerator, etc.
8. Ensure all foods (including pet food) that are left on shelves, cupboards, or pantries are stored in tight-fitting hard plastic, glass or metal containers.
9. Install tight-fitting exterior door stops to reduce the chances of rodents gaining access.
10. Seal up any gaps, cracks or voids on the exterior of your structure to keep rodents from entering.