Are Mice Cleaner Inside or Outside Your Home?

Do you know that mice are fascinating creatures and that they are both intelligent and resourceful? They can jump down 3 to 4 yards without injuring themselves and leap a foot into the air. They can walk along very thin pieces of wire or rope, and they can squeeze through a hole as small as a dime! Do you know that if you were to explore a mouse's underground home, you would find that they are incredibly clean, tidy, and organized? Their intricate tunnels have specific areas for storing food, going to the bathroom, and for shelter. Who knew that mice were that clean?

Do you also know that mice prefer to be in warm places rather than cold places? What warm-blooded creature doesn't? But it is more than just a matter of comfort. Many rodents do not survive long periods of cold and snowy weather. As temperatures start to drop, and food sources are harder to find, mice, and other rodents, will seek shelter near or inside houses. And once they get inside a house, all their skills at keeping their dwellings neat and tidy seem to go right out the window - probably because they don't see your home as their den. Your kitchen and pantry are like the forests and fields they roam in, and that can be a problem when nature calls.

If you've ever had mice, you know that they are not clean animals inside your home. They leave urine on your counters, or anywhere else they happen to roam; and they have the potential of leaving bacteria and/or viruses everywhere. They also leave droppings all over the place, especially in the backs of kitchen drawers. In fact, one mouse can produce as much as 50-60 droppings in a single night! And like this isn't enough, mice also like to chew, and this can be a problem especially if they chew on wires--because this can be a fire hazard.

Make Your Home Less Attractive to Mice this Fall.

There are several things that can be done to prevent mice from making your home their home for the winter:

• Make sure you store all garbage (inside your home, and outside) in containers with tight-fitting lids.

• Keep your yard free of clutter so that mice don't have places to hide. This includes cleaning up toys, weeds, garbage, and trash piles.

• Inspect the inside and outside of your home for gaps or cracks where mice might squeeze in. Seal up all holes using a caulking gun.

• Keep kitchens clean and store food in the refrigerator or inside secure plastic containers that mice cannot chew through.

Mice are not going to treat your home like they treat their den, and that can mean illness for your family. If you are trying to keep mice out of your home this winter and all of your exclusion methods don’t seem to be working, then it’s time to give the professionals at American Pest a call. We can identify the places you may have missed that are allowing mice access to your home and safely eliminate the mice that are already there. In fact, it’s a good idea to have one of our experienced technicians inspect your property for access points even before rodents find their way in, eliminating the problem before it even begins! When these furry little creatures come to explore your exterior walls for a place to hide this winter, let them find them sealed and protected.