Why Do Mice Come Into Lynchburg Homes?

Blind mice make for a fun nursery rhyme. But, feeling blind while searching your home for the culprit of the gnawed food and small droppings around the kitchen? Mice can be difficult to spot and harder to catch. A mouse infestation can drive you crazy, and you'll try everything to stop these rodents from getting into your food, contaminating your kitchen, and destroying your belongings.

Why do mice come into homes? How can you stop them? Here’s some advice for protecting your home and your family from house mice in Lynchburg.

The Ins And Outs Of House Mice

Mice are small round animals with gray fur and light-colored bellies. They are usually around two or three inches long, with rounded ears, a pointy muzzle, and a long tail.

Mice usually invade homes because they are looking for food and shelter. They’re among the most common house pests and can be a problem any time of year. They get inside through tiny cracks and holes and make nests in your storage areas and furniture.

While they can contaminate food and destroy property, these aren’t the only reasons you should stop mice from entering your home. Mice can transmit diseases such as tularemia, salmonellosis, and more.

Keep your family safe by keeping mice out. Here are some tips.

Prevent Attractants

First, you need to look through your home and make sure that you aren’t inviting mice inside. Are you leaving food messes in the kitchen at night? A dirty kitchen can provide a feast for house mice.

Here are some attracting factors to take care of:

• Clean up food messes and spills.

• Store food in sealed hard plastic or glass containers.

• Don’t leave pet food or birdseed sitting out.

• Store trash in a bin with an airtight lid.

• Declutter closets and cabinets, so mice have fewer hiding places.

• Organize your storage areas and store items in plastic boxes.

• Use a dehumidifier in damp areas like the basement and attic.

Prevent Entry

Once you’ve made sure you aren’t attracting mice to your home, you can take some steps to ensure that there are no easy entry points. Mice can chew through thin plastic, wood, and cardboard. They can get through a hole the size of a quarter!

• Inspect the exterior of your home for signs of entry, such as holes and cracks.

• Repair any cracks with caulking.

• Cover your vents and install door sweeps.

• Check any boxes or furniture for signs of mice before bringing them inside.

Mice Elimination

Sometimes mice get inside despite your best efforts to keep them out. If this happens, we suggest giving us at All Pest Control a call to remove these rodents.

While mouse traps are commonly accessible, they aren’t highly effective. A trap may catch one or two mice, but it won’t stop all the mice in your home. In just one year, a female mouse can give birth to up to 35 young, causing an infestation to multiply quickly.

Even if you catch the mother, her babies may continue growing and reproducing. The growth can be exponential if you don’t stop them quickly.

Instead of dealing with an ever-growing population of disease-spreading mice on your own, why not have All Pest Control send in our best technicians to eradicate the problem for you. We’re quick, efficient, and humane. Let us help take your home back from mice.