So you think you have mice?

Droppings are usually the first sign your home has mice. Gnaw marks and a characteristic musky odor also helps reveal their presence. Mice are active mostly at night, but they can also be seen during daylight hours.

Because a mouse is so small, it can gain entry into your home much more easily than rats. As a result, mouse infestations are estimated 20 times more common than rat infestations.

Some pets will catch and kill mice and rats. However, there are few situations in which they will adequately control the problem.

So what can be done to kill your rodents? The most important part is locating where they came from. How did the mouse get into your house? Large gaps around doors is most likely the source also, the air conditioning lines into you house can have a gap which allows mice access into your walls and too many other locations in your house.

Many locations in St George have high rodent populations (Entrada, Stone Cliff, Kayenta, Winchester and Diamond Valley) if you are near the outskirts of town you will most likely have rodent activity as well.

TRAPS

Snap Traps work great. While you can use almost any kind of food to catch a mouse, Shakespeare Pest Control has found that Peanut butter, Snickers or Slim Jims work best. Be sure to place plenty of traps throughout your home. If you think you have one mouse place 4 traps, if you think you have 10 mice place 50 traps. When baiting, put bait on the traps and leave them out for a few days before you set them, then rebait them and set them again. This will increase your chance of success.

STICKY TRAPS work well also. But you need to kill the mouse yourself because it’s not a fast kill.

BAIT STATIONS

Bait stations are an excellent way of keeping mice population low around your house especially if you live in Entrada or the Ledges. They need to be locked and secured to protect kids and pets, but will significantly reduce the chances of a mouse infestation.

Sealing up the gaps and holes around your home, is the best way to keep them from getting in. Mice will ear through spray foam so you need to use steel wool to fill the hole or gap first then caulk over it. This will eliminate that problem.

If you have any questions on how to keep mice out of your home or get them out, give us a Call at 435-414-0284. Just because the trucks are pink doesn’t mean we are not natural rodent killers!