How To Get Rid of Mice
How To Control Mice
Mice are shy, nocturnal rodents that seek food, shelter and safety in our homes. A mouse may nest outdoors, but will just as readily make a nest inside your home. They may nest in walls, furniture, boxes, under appliances or anywhere they can live relatively undisturbed.
Mice will eat many things but prefer grain and seeds. They will eat cereal, bread, cookies and similar things. They get most of their water from their food and so need little additional water.
How To Keep Mice Out of a Home
Mice are small and can get through surprisingly small openings. They will also gnaw through wood to make an opening. Therefore, it can be fairly difficult to close all possible access to your home. However, even if you can't close all the openings, closing some will reduce the likelihood of mice entering your home.
Many people focus on filling holes and cracks inside their home. The problem is that in the typical home there are too many pathways through walls, attics, and crawlspaces for you to block them all. A much more effective method to block access is from the outside of your home.
Walk around the perimeter of your home and look the following:
- Cut back plants so that they don't touch the building.
- Keep garbage cans as far from your home as possible.
- Inspect the foundation of your home for openings. Anything larger than a dime is large enough for a mouse to pass through.
- Block all openings with rigid metal screen or other appropriate material.
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