Mississippi mice are ruthless and must be stopped. Mice bring disease, destruction, and headaches to homeowners. No one wants rodents eating their food, crawling around their home, or leaving their droppings behind.
Work quickly and learn how to get rid of mice. Don’t be a gracious host any longer!
Common FAQ’s About Mice Extermination
1.How to find the best mouse exterminator near me?
2.How much is a mouse exterminator?
3.Mouse exterminator cost?
The Mark of the Mouse
How do you know when you have a mouse in the house? Though they are sneaky creatures, they do leave behind plenty of obvious signs. Before you start planning how you’ll catch them, it is important to identify the pest.
Some signs of a mouse problem could include:
- Hearing scratching and scuffling
- Droppings (oval with pointy ends)
- Smell of urine
- Holes
- Rubbings
- Shredded material for nesting
- Nests
- Sightings of mice
- Pets acting oddly
There may only be one mouse in the house. Even so, it’s important to address the issue as soon as possible so they don’t invite friends and start reproducing in your family’s home. A single mouse can turn into an infestation.
How long does it take to get rid of mice? Well, that depends on you.
Sealing up the Cracks
To get the mice out, you need to address how they are getting in. Sealing cracks may mean using caulk or specially designed rodent control filler made from copper or steel wool.
You may be able to do this on your own, but bringing in professionals assures you that the job is done correctly so you don’t have this problem again. A bonus of taking this extra step will also help to keep out other pests, like insects.
Look for holes that have been chewed or scratched through. Don’t neglect to check obvious places that they may be coming in, such as dog doors or open garage doors.
Inside and Out
Pest control starts inside the home, but it should also include the exterior of your house. Thorough extermination of mice and rats means treating your yard and cleaning up debris where they might be hiding and nesting.
Tall grasses and piles of leaves could be harboring families of rodents. Keep your grass trimmed and your leaves raked up.
Until your mouse problem is under control, you need to be careful with exposed food — such as bird feeders — and even your garbage cans should be covered up.
If you live in a wooded area or near fields of produce and crops, it will be harder to control pests, but it can still be done. You have to stay diligent or keep up on your regular pest control service appointments.
Pay attention to when the fields are harvested, and have your pest control service make an extra trip out in that time.
Cutting off Food Supply
Mice need food to survive — a lot of food, in fact. Some even eat up to 20 times per day, according to Live Science. They can go without water for much longer periods, but they will come out for food every day.
Mouse-proofing your pantry takes effort, but it’s worth it. Transferring your bags and boxes of foods into jars or plastic containers with lids is a good start.
Inspect every item in the cupboard for holes from mice, and throw away any food that’s been broken open, as it could be tainted by dirty mice.
Once their food supply is restricted, it’s time to get serious about exterminating them from the home. Otherwise, they could start to go after your electrical wiring and power cords.
Deep Cleaning
When you realize that you’re dealing with mice in your house, your first instinct may be to properly deep clean all surfaces that they may have touched. And, you would be correct.
While cleaning will not prevent mice from coming in, neglecting to clean may attract them to crumbs of food on the counter, on the floors, and in your cabinets.
Mice are dirty and are known to carry disease. You can get sick just from inhaling the fumes of their droppings and urine.
Due to poor eyesight, mice have heightened senses of smell and hearing. Work against their aversion to strong smells and clean with bleach or throw a few drops of peppermint oil into your cleaner.
How to Get Rid of Mice Naturally
We use essentials oils for self-care and cleaning products for the home. But did you know that you can also use essential oils as a method of pest control? This is perfect for the homeowner who doesn’t want to use poison.
The great thing about this application is that you can use up those older oils that you have lying around — maybe even the ones that aren’t as high-quality and pure. No need to waste the good stuff for this job, unless you want to.
Since mice don’t like strong smells, using peppermint oil to deter them from certain areas can help narrow down where they are hiding. Soak cotton balls with peppermint oil and toss them into corners of your cabinets and near doorways.
Another natural method is to sprinkle cayenne pepper powder around the inside perimeter of your home. Getting rid of mice does not have to be harmful to you and your family’s health.
Types of Traps
Sticky traps are available in small or large sizes. It is recommended to put a small piece of bait food in the center of the trap so the mouse has to crawl onto it to get the food. The mouse will be alive when you find them, stuck on the industrial glue of the trap.
Snap traps are the old-fashioned kind. They have a wooden plank with a metal bar on a spring-loaded lever. A strategically placed piece of bait will set the snapper off when the mouse reaches for the food.
Snap traps will kill the mouse if they work as they’re supposed to. This can be an awfully messy process and unnerving for some people. Yet, this trap is preferred over sticky traps because the mouse suffers less with the snap trap.
Electronic traps are considered to be the quickest and least inhumane of all of the kill traps. Mice walk into the trap and are instantly zapped with a deadly, high voltage shock.
Humane traps are growing in popularity because they do not kill the mouse, just trap them.
Looking for the best bait choice? Look no further than right here!
Proper Trap Usage
Traps are only effective when used properly. You can buy the best traps on the market, but if you aren’t setting them properly, they could be completely ineffective.
Remember to use only a small amount of food in your traps, or they could steal some of the food without setting off the trap. Hint: a pea-sized dab of peanut butter seems to work the best!
No matter which traps you decide to use, it’s important to wear gloves both when setting the traps and removing those that have caught a mouse.
The mice can smell your scent on traps, which may deter them. And, when there’s a mouse near the trap, gloves will help protect you from any diseases the mouse may have.
Sending in the Feline Troops
The cartoons that you grew up watching depicted the relationship between cats and mice correctly. Cats have an instinct to chase mice, and mice instinctually run from them, and even the scent of them.
If you do not have a cat or one that you can borrow, you can try to set up decoys of used cat litter. This may seem like an odd suggestion, but it actually gets great results.
Ultrasonic Pest Control
The latest type of humane pest control that you may have heard of uses a high pitched noise called ultrasonic. Though these products may claim to work magic, they are not the end-all mouse chasers that they claim.
They are effective when used in combination with professional pest control or traps.
The problem with ultrasonic sound waves is that they can bother your pets, and even you. It’s recommended to place these devices in an area like the basement or attic where pets do not frequent.
DIY Mouse Trap
If you are the DIY type, you might try this idea. This mouse trap involves minimal supplies and about 15 minutes. It could prove to be effective when you’ve tried all of the traps on the store shelf.
The basic idea is to hang some bait inside a deep bucket, with a ramp that leads up to the bucket. When the mouse goes for the bait, they fall in the bucket and cannot escape. Then, you can take the bucket out to the woods and set them free.
The Professional Approach
DIY pest control is not something that all homeowners are prepared to take on — be it a lack of time, confidence, or desire to chase down rodents. Searching for “mouse exterminator near me” can take you on a hunt around town, or even around the state of Mississippi.
You want to make sure that you are dealing with a company with good reviews from local folks such as yourself. There is nothing better than a review from real customers!
Wondering how much this is going to cost you? Rodent control services start around $250 and can go up to as much as $800-900, depending on the size of your home.
Get Out, and Stay Out
And, that is how to get rid of mice. Act fast! If you are feeling overwhelmed, creeped out by the thought of mice, or just want to get ahead of the problem as quickly as possible, call in the professionals. ASAP. Local, effective, and dependable pest control service will get rid of your intruders, and keep them away for good!
Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 270 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here at Synergy² Jackson Pest Control!