House Rodent Pest Prevention and Control Methods

Rats and house mice would love to make your home their home.  These pests and their parasites are harmful to you, your family, your belongings, and your properties.  Let them know they are not welcome.  House mice and rats are not protected by law; they may be controlled using any pesticide registered by federal or state authorities for the process of rodenticide, or they may be controlled by using mechanical methods such as traps.  Here is an algorithm on control methods to help send rodents scurry out of your house and home.

·     Can mice’s food source be removed or limited?

·     If yes, remove the food source.

·     If no, can mice’s shelter be removed or limited?

·     If yes, reduce or limit shelter.

·     If no, are mice numerous?

·     If no, use traps such as snap traps, multiple-capture traps, or glue boards.

·     If mice are numerous, is a quick reduction in mouse numbers needed?

·     If no, use traps.

·     If yes, will the presence of dead mice cause odor or sanitation problem?

·     If yes, use traps.

·     If no, are the mice within a building or structure that can safely be fumigated?

·     If yes, contact a pest control operator for fumigation.

·     If no, can an anticoagulant rodenticide be used safely?

·     If no, use traps.

·     If yes, use single dose toxicant with assistance of a pest control operator.

·     If after using a single-dose toxicant, do some mice remain?

·     If yes, use traps.  

·     Mice thrive just about anywhere there are food and shelters.  A mouse normally travels an area average 10 to 30 feet (3 m to 9 m) in diameter to get food or water and seldom go father than this.  Mice can jump and climb and swim and can squeeze through an opening larger than ¼ inch (0.6 cm).  They mature sexually at 6 to 10 weeks and produce a litter about 19 to 21 days after mating.  Do the math.

·     Keep house mouse from entering your home by seal all holes and opening larger than ¼ inch (0.6 cm) across with heavy materials that will resist gnawing; these include concrete mortar, galvanized sheet metal, steel wool, and heavy-gauge hardware cloth.  Make sure there’s no space under doors.

·     Reduce sources of food, water, and shelter.  Store food stuffs such as pet food in rodent-proof containers, control weeds and remove debris from around the house.  Look under your outdoor dog pen for mouse’s nest.

·     Dogs and cats are sometimes not effective in deterring house mouse.

·     Ultrasonic devices have not been proven to control mice.  

·     Trapping is the preferred method to try first in homes, garages, and other small structures where there may be only a few mice present.  It allows for sanitary disposal of the mice and reducing odor problems from decomposing carcasses that may remain when poisoning is done within the building.

·     Set traps close to walls, behind objects in dark places, and in locations where mouse activity is seen.  Place the traps so that when mice follow their natural course of travel which is usually close to a wall, they will pass directly over the trigger.  Make sure the trigger springs easily.  Make your project swift and decisive by using a pair of extra-wide triggers at a time; traps should be spaced no more than about 6 feet (1.8 m) apart perpendicular to a wall, with the trigger edge next to the wall.  Double set of traps can be placed parallel to the wall with triggers to the outside.

·     Glue boards catch and hold mice attempting to cross them.  Place glue boards where mice travel, usually along walls.  Keep glue boards away from children, house pets, and other unsuspected wildlife.  Glue boards lose their effectiveness in dusty areas unless covered, and temperature extremes may affect the tackiness of some glue.

Other than pop out of mouse holes and scaring people, mice are destructive in many ways:  They contaminate food supplies with droppings and urine, making food unfit for human consumption; they act as reservoir and transmitters of diseases to humans such as food poisoning, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, leptospirosis, rat bite fever, tapeworms, and ringworm (an organism that cause a fungal skin disease; and they cause structural damage to your home by their gnawing and nest-building activities.  Make your castle most unwelcome to these uninviting Mickey.

Rodent infestation can be very dangerous to your health and your home. If you suspect possible server problems, it would be highly advised to consult with a professional pest control and extermination services as they are trained in the use of poisons and other control measures to eliminate unwanted pests from your home and property.