Mouse in the House – Tips for Prevention

Go to your local big box pet store. Most likely they sell these cute little creatures called mice. Your child says they want one for a pet.

You go through the general speech with them. Stuff like, it’s your responsibility. You’ll have to feed them, take care of them, clean their cage, etc. The fuzzy little critter, you have to admit is a sweetie.

Then there’s this other scenario: You’re in the kitchen, fixing a snack and out of the corner of your eye you see something flitter by on the floor. You never bought that thing at a pet store. Moreover, you’re not married — have no kids. What the … ?

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
Exterminating one is all fine-and-dandy. Be forewarned, when you see a single unit, most likely it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Getting rid of it merely means a single brave mouse is leaving behind a family. And considering that they breed like rabbits — since nature abhors a vacuum — when you drop-kick a couple of mice, others will take their place.

What you need is a professionally-run program, scheduled maintenance and people like us at Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, LLC.

Avert It Before It Happens
What’s that they tell us about prevention? Better yet, what did Barney say to Sheriff Andy and many others in the town of Mayberry?

The answer lies when you follow this link: http://youtu.be/F2P4mg-nUfI

Nip it in the bud!

Some good pest control advice to nip it:

• This will not only keep the creatures outside, but it may actually help you lower your utility bills. Purchase some nice, thick weather-stripping and install it around windows and doors.
• Your garage may present a slight challenge. Unless the door seals completely, it’s another entry point. Make sure it does.
• While we’re in the car-house, set some traps. We recommend the wind-up ones because they can catch a dozen of the mice with a single setting.
• Shrubs, bushes, piles of dead wood, leaves that settle near your home’s foundation need to be cleared away. This junk can offer mice a port in the storm.
• Same goes for bricks, stones, any debris. Remove them from spots near your house. Mice can live and breed there. It’s simply a hop-skip-and-a-jump from your house if somthing is allowed to harbor these pests.
• Firewood. For those of us with fireplaces, we get lazy. No one wants to trudge into the back 40 for dry wood on a cold winter night. By keeping this form of energy clear of your foundation, though, you’ve eliminated another place where a colony can survive. If you want to keep yourself from trudging too far, bring just enough wood near your house for fuel for a couple of days at a time.
• Got a crack? C’mon, guys; we’re adults. Don’t go there. Cracks or holes which are larger than a 1/4 of an inch in your foundation. Can you fit a ballpoint pen in the gap? That’s enough space for a mouse to squeeze through. Before sealing it with some foam, stuff it with steel wool. Make it as tough as possible for Mickey to turn your house into a Disney World Ride. Last thing you want is for your place to become The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Image Source: mommyedition.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mice-in-the-house.jpg
Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/home-pest-control/mouse-in-the-house-tips-for-prevention