As winter settles in, so do we. We venture outside when we have to: work, groceries, and other essentials to meet our basic needs. Mice need food and shelter, too, so they begin looking for a suitable place to spend the winter when temperatures cool and seasonal rains flood their summer homes. Gaps in our houses no larger than a ΒΌ inch offer a way inside, and the warm air leaking through these gaps is a temptation mice simply cannot resist.
We rarely see mice when they first enter our homes; their activity is largely nocturnal, a behavior that allows them to better avoid predators. Soon, though, signs start popping up: droppings under the kitchen sink; food packages chewed through; gnawing marks around plumbing holes.
Trapping is the order of the day (never bait in your home, as the mice rarely die in convenient locations – and dead mice in walls create new problems!) Just as important, though, is finding out where mice are entering your home and making sure they can’t get inside in the future.
A typical measure is to stuff steel wool into gaps inside the home – around plumbing, in closet corners, that sort of thing. And while this might help if you live in an apartment complex, it’s a terrible idea in a house. You risk trapping mice in the walls where they die (see the smelly bait scenario we referred to earlier), and, in any event, there is little to stop them from simply chewing a new hole elsewhere in the drywall.
As with most pest problems, the key is to keep mice from getting inside from the outside of your home. While mice can be excellent climbers, they will always take the route of least resistance – look for dime-sized (or larger) holes and gaps around the foundation of your home. Most often, mice enter through damaged crawlspace vents, crawlspace doors, worn or missing door sweeps, and gaps at the corners of overhead doors in attached garages.
Mice are a common problem in winter in our region. If your mouse problem has you at wit’s end, give us a call (or text us) at 208-298-9171. We’re here to help!