The mouse is one of the most common home invaders. They can travel along water pipes and electrical cables without being seen, as they are tiny enough to get through cracks that are larger than their body. If you have ever had a mouse in your house, then you know what it's like to live in fear of them getting into your food or scurrying across your floor while you sleep. Nowadays, there are many ways to keep mice out of homes and businesses-but, how do you know when all the mice are gone? Read on for some simple tips that will help ensure these pests won't be back anytime soon!
Signs of a mouse infestation
A mouse infestation may be a reason when you hear scratching noises in the attic or false ceilings or when you notice gnawed corners or nibbled objects. Mice multiply quickly, even if they are only temporary, so it is important to know how to detect them, so you confirm whether they are eliminated or not.
Mice droppings
Mouse droppings are easy to recognize and are a major signal for the presence of mice in your home. They thus define the places of passage and life of pests. It is a great first way to find out if you have mice in your home.
Mouse droppings are 3-7mm in length and look like a large grain of black rice. If the mouse poop is still shiny, it means the rodents are not far away.
If, on the contrary, this mouse poop is dry, it means that the excrement is old.
Note that a mouse does, on average, between 50 and 80 droppings per day.
In general, we find that the places most affected by mouse droppings are behind furniture and at the base of walls.
Also, if the mouse droppings are of different sizes, the pest reproduces quickly, and that the level of infestation is high. Therefore, we advise you to act as quickly as possible.
Before the situation gets worse, call in a professional and licensed pest control system whose expertise and the use of suitable professional products will eradicate these unwanted pests from your home.
The mouse noises overnight
Mice are nocturnal rodents. They don't have good eyesight. So, they move thanks to their sense of smell, touch, and hearing.
In addition, these pests are very good climbers and easily climb several floors. You can then hear scratching sounds during the night when they are active.
Mouse scratching
When mice move in search of food, their claws rub against the ground or walls. You then hear like scratchings. These noises, therefore, testify to significant pest activity.
Gray mouse cry
Mice make squeaks that sound like hissing sounds during the night. These noises then often alert residents to the presence of rodents in the home.
Pawprints and teeth marks
It is possible to find traces of mouse paws on soiled surfaces that contain plaster or flour.
They are also visible on the dusty floors of cellars and attics. It may therefore be a sign of a pest infestation.
In addition, mice have sharp incisors that they use to gnaw materials of all kinds to dig burrows or put their nests.
As they eat everything, they can also eat electrical wires and therefore cause serious damage.
So, if you notice tooth marks on furniture or doors, or if your electrical wires are eaten away, you must act quickly to avoid too much proliferation.
Places where mice make their nests
Finding out if you have mice in your home and dislodging their nests is not that easy!
Mice are rodents that live in groups. Very good climbers, they weave their way around. They can therefore make their nests anywhere in your home.
Mice, however, prefer dark places located near food, such as attics and cellars. They can also nestle behind a fridge or cupboard. To make their nest, they use various objects: branches, cardboard, paper.
If you notice the presence of mice in your home, don't wait to act!
Indeed, their reproduction is very fast!
Get rid of mice using natural repellents.
There are natural repellents that keep rats away from homes. They are often used in the prevention of an infestation to prevent a significant proliferation of pests.
Among these natural products to get rid of rats, there are:
- Repellent plants such as mint, sage, or bay leaf: crush the leaves and place them in the places where rats pass;
- Lemongrass or Eucalyptus essential oil: their powerful scent will scare pests away.
Five grandma's recipes to get rid of mice
There are also several easy-to-make grandma's recipes for killing mice without using poison; here are the five best known:
- Baking soda: Mix this with a food that rats like, like peanut butter. Once the mice ingest the bicarbonate, it turns into carbon dioxide and kills it;
- Bleach: Mix bleach with liquid milk, adding something that will attract rats, such as meat sauce. Pour the mixture into a container, then place it at the foot of the walls. Once the rat swallows the preparation, its digestive organs will be burned, which will kill it in just a few hours;
- Coca-cola: the rat will be attracted by the sweet taste of this drink. Coca-cola destroys the internal organs of mice, resulting in their death a few days or even hours later;
- Plaster: Mix plaster with flour to mask the smell. The mice thus swallow the application, which is highly toxic for him. For a tablespoon of plaster, count two for the flour;
- Salt: it is toxic to rats. Mix the salt with any food the rat likes to mask the taste.
While these grandmother's tips may effectively deter a single mouse, the effectiveness of these natural remedies may be limited to a larger colony. Moreover, the more time passes, the more difficult and expensive it will be to defeat the invasion. That's why it's often best to call on the expertise of a licensed professional to kill mice with a sure, fast, and long-lasting effect.
Use an approved mice control company.
To eradicate the presence of rats most efficiently and rapidly possible, you can seek the help of professional mice control. Thanks to a precise diagnosis, the technician-applicator is trained to find the most suitable solution for your situation. Thanks to certified and approved professional products, the mice exterminator will use the best method to kill mice inside your home and in your garden.
When the mouse count is zero, you're ready to declare victory. But don't forget, You must not in any way encourage them to settle at your home again at all costs. This consists, for example, of:
- Regularly empty the bins,
- Enclose food in airtight glass or stoneware containers, for example, materials that rodents cannot nibble on,
- Plug all the holes through which they are likely to enter,
- Also, protect the door sills so that mice can no longer sneak in.
Rodents can go through the roof to enter a home, through the small space left around the air conditioner duct, through a gutter, and down the pipes. Therefore, any defect in the home can benefit them. It is therefore essential to carry out any repair without delay.
In addition, you should regularly check the garage, attic, basement, and behind the kitchen furniture to make sure there are no mouse or rat droppings and act accordingly.