HOUSE MOUSE FACTS

House mice are gray or brown rodents with relatively large ears and small eyes. An adult weighs about 1/2 ounce and is about 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches long, including the 3 to 4-inch tail.

Although house mice usually feed on cereal grains, they will eat many kinds of food. They eat often, nibbling bits of food here and there. Mice have keen senses of taste, hearing, smell, and touch. They are excellent climbers and can run up any rough vertical surface. They will run horizontally along wire cables or ropes and can jump up 13 inches from the floor onto a flat surface. They can slip through a crack that a pencil will fit into (slightly larger than 1/4 inch in diameter).

In a single year, a female may have five to 10 litters of usually five or six young each. Young are born 19 to 21 days after mating, and they are mature in six to 10 weeks. The lifespan of a mouse is about nine to 12 months.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Effective mouse control involves sanitation, mouse-proof construction, and population reduction. The first two are useful as preventive measures. When a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. Reduction techniques include trapping and poisoning.

Sanitation. Mice can survive in very small areas with limited amounts of food and shelter. Consequently, no matter how good the sanitation, most buildings in which food is stored, handled or used will support house mice if not mouse-proofed. Although good sanitation will seldom eliminate mice, poor sanitation is sure to attract them and will permit them to thrive in greater numbers. Good sanitation will also reduce food and shelter for existing mice and, in turn, make baits and traps more effective. Pay particular attention to eliminating places where mice can find shelter. If they have few places to rest, hide or build nests and rear young, they cannot survive in large numbers.

MOUSE-PROOF CONSTRUCTION

The most successful and permanent form of house mouse control is to “build them out” by eliminating all openings through which they can enter a structure. All places where food is stored, processed or used should be made mouse-proof. Dried grain and meat products should be stored in glass jars, metal canisters or other resealable airtight containers.

Seal any openings larger than 1/4 inch to exclude mice. Steel wool mixed with caulking compound makes a good plug. Patching material needs to be smooth on the surface to prevent mice from pulling out or chewing through the patching compound. Seal cracks and openings in building foundations and openings for water pipes, vents, and utilities with metal or concrete. Doors, windows, and screens should fit tightly. It may be necessary to cover the edges with metal to prevent gnawing. Plastic sheeting or screen, wood, rubber or other gnawable materials are unsuitable for plugging holes used by mice.

Traps. Trapping is an effective control method. When only a few mice are present in a building, it is usually the preferred control method. Trapping has several advantages: (1) it does not rely on inherently hazardous poisons, (2) it permits the user to make sure that the mouse has been killed and (3) it allows for disposal of the mouse carcasses, thereby avoiding dead mouse odors that may occur when poisoning is done within buildings.

The simple, inexpensive wood-based snap trap is effective and can be purchased at most hardware and grocery stores. Bait traps with peanut butter, chocolate candy, dried fruit or a small piece of bacon tied securely to the trigger.

Set them so that the trigger is sensitive and will spring easily. Multiple-capture live traps, which can capture several mice once set, are also available in some hardware and feed stores. Set traps close to walls, behind objects, in dark corners and in places where evidence of mouse activity is seen. Place them so that mice will pass directly over the triggers as they follow the natural course of travel, usually close to a wall. Traps can be set on ledges or on top of pallets of stored materials if mice are active in such locations. Use enough traps to eliminate the rodents quickly. (Using too few traps is a common error by individuals attempting to control mice.) Mice seldom venture far from their shelter and food supply, so place traps no more than 10 feet apart in areas where mice are active. Leaving traps unset until the bait has been taken at least once (prebaiting) often increases the success of trapping. An alternative to traps is glue boards, which catch and hold mice attempting to cross them in much the same way flypaper catches flies. Place glue boards along walls where mice travel. Two or three glue boards placed side-by-side (or the larger glue boards used for rats) will be more effective than individual boards. Do not use them where children, pets or desirable wildlife can contact them. Glue boards can be placed inside tamper-resistant bait boxes in exposed locations. Glue boards lose their effectiveness in dusty areas unless covered and extremes of temperature also may affect the tackiness of the glue. Glue boards are sometimes used to catch a mouse that is wary of snap traps.

BAIT SELECTION AND PLACEMENT

Baits are available in several forms. Grain baits in a meal or pelleted form are available in small plastic, cellophane or paper packets. These sealed “place packs” keep bait fresh and make it easy to place the baits in burrows, walls or other locations. Mice gnaw into the packet to feed on the bait. Block style baits are also very effective for most situations. Proper placement of baits and the distance between placements is important. Place baits in several locations no farther than 10 feet apart and preferably closer. For effective control, baits or traps must be located where mice are living. Use of tamper-resistant bait stations provides a safeguard for people, pets, and other animals. Place bait stations next to walls with the openings close to the wall or in other places where mice are active. When possible, secure the bait station to a fixed object to prevent it from being moved. Clearly label all bait stations “Caution—Mouse Bait” as a safety precaution.

SOUND AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Although mice are easily frightened by strange or unfamiliar noises, they quickly become accustomed to regularly repeated sounds and are often found living in grain mills or factories and other noisy locations. Ultrasonic sounds, those above the range of human hearing have very limited use in rodent control because they are directional and do not penetrate behind objects. Also, they lose their intensity quickly with distance. There is little evidence that sound of any type will drive established mice or rats from buildings because they rapidly become accustomed to the sound.

CONTROL BY CATS AND DOGS

Although cats, dogs, and other predators may kill mice, they do not give effective control in most circumstances. In fact, rodents may live in very close association with dogs and cats. Mice and rats may obtain much of their diet from the pet’s dish or from what pets spill.

DISPOSAL OF DEAD RODENTS

Always wear intact rubber or plastic gloves when removing dead rodents and when cleaning or disinfecting items contaminated by rodents. Put the dead rodent in a plastic bag; the bag should be placed in a second bag and tightly sealed. Dispose of rodents in trash containers with tight-fitting lids. Traps can be disinfected by soaking them in a solution of three tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water or a commercial disinfectant containing phenol (such as Lysol®). After handling rodents, resetting traps and cleaning contaminated objects, thoroughly wash gloved hands in a general household disinfectant or with soap and warm water. Then remove gloves and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water.

In a single year, a female mouse can have 5 to 10 litters of 5 or 6 young each. In 10 weeks, those babies will be mature enough to repeat the process. Assume half the litter is male, the other half female. You do the math.

There’s more. Though mice have dietary preferences – grains, cereal, even peanut butter – they’ll basically settle for anything they can get. They can climb vertically up just about any rough surface, navigate cables like the guy who walked across Niagara Falls, jump about a foot high, and crawl through holes you could sharpen a pencil in. Oh, and they use your insulation for nests and contaminate your food with their droppings; they can cause structural damage by chewing on wood and a safety hazard by gnawing on your wires.

THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET RID OF THEM?

The rats leave behind them a nasty mess of odors and feces, but there is no job too big or small for us. Pros in identifying and trapping the rat or rats: Making sure those pests don’t return. Experts of proofing: Identify any entry points, seal them off, catch the rat. We are sure to solve your rat problems! Rodents we do include rats, mice, opossums, raccoons, pigeons and other rodent type animals.

Rodent management, control, exclusion, and elimination begins with a thorough inspection of the structure, building, or property needing such attention. Identifying your rodent “target” is an important step in deciding what procedure in control must be taken. Our inspection consists of a meticulous overview of the entire property. Rats, cunning as they are sneaky, will find their way into your home at one time or another. Preventive maintenance although very important is far from everyone’s mind. To many people, the solution is off the shelf products poisons and baits. That unless administered properly can endanger nontarget pests, and cause more trouble than they are worth. When dealing with poisons or chemicals let the professionals handle it for best results. Rats are underestimated by most people; they are insect disease, infested rodents and should be maintained under control. When left unattended they will turn your home into an insect, urine, feces, and disease breeding ground. Urine and feces infested attics can pose a great health threat to you and your family.

Rat proofing a home is the first step in exclusion. To do a proper job, you must go where the rat goes, identify main and all possible entry points. This begins with the

Inspection. A thorough outside inspection must be performed to find all exterior entry points. Not all entries are seen from outside you must go inside attics or crawl spaces to find the most important ones. These inside entries are often missed by most inexperienced technicians and some experienced ones as well.

RAT FACTS

Rats: The fact about rats is that they are everywhere and not easy to control unless you are a professional. Specifications for rats can vary. The length of an average rat is from 6-18 inches including their tail. Roof rats tend to be charcoal gray in color as compared to your sewer rat which is a brownish tan. Their diet consists of eating almost everything, it’s not much of a diet. They consume ½ to 2oz of liquid a day. These are nocturnal creatures that eat and drink under the cover of darkness. They are loud and gnaw at anything they can. Rats have been known to cause electrical fires in homes by exposed electrical wires in attics. Rats are the cause of much damage and carriers of parasites and diseases

RATS BREEDING

Your home has become the preferred breeding ground for most rats. They breed throughout the year. Producing as many as four litters a year, each litter from four to six pups. Insulation in your attic makes perfect nesting quarters for rats. Urine and feces compiled in attics can pose serious health risks.

Our entire rat proofing is preceded by the trapping of all rats sealed inside your attic, crawl space or home. And removal of them once caught. Rat trapping isn’t simply setting traps down. The positioning of traps is vital for a success in winning this battle. Being sure traps are set in the rat’s path and in the direction of travel. Identifying the direction of the path of travel is important and often only identifiable by a trained technician. When baiting the snap traps be sure not to contaminate bait with human scent. That might render the snap trap useless. Rats are cautious when the scent of humans is near and if contaminated, they might not approach it. When removing dead rats be cautious, wear appropriate intact rubber or plastic gloves. As it is well documented that rats carry many infectious diseases: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), Maurine typhus, Rat-bite fever (RBF) Leptospirosis

RODENT EXCLUSION

In our rat proofing, we find and seal off all access point that rats might have. Whether it be a chewed hole or a building imperfection. We will find it and repair it. Although many companies claims they are the best at finding and solving these problems. We know better. After all, we end up fixing many mistakes made by others. Understanding that rats are sneaky and great contortionist will help you find their entry points. Our years of experience have taught us never to underestimate the cunningness of the rat. Standard rules say a rat fits into a quarter size hole or ½ inch hole. Experience has told us rats don’t care what size the hole is. After all, they can always make it bigger. Standard rules are for standard companies. We are not your standard mice and rat control company. We go above and beyond to solve your problem.