Your home should be inviting…but not to mice
Mice can cause harm to your health and home.
Food and water sources, cluttered spaces, and easy entry points could attract mice to your home.
You may need to hire pest control in the event of a mouse infestation.
Even the biggest animal lover may tremble at the thought of a mouse infestation in their home—and for good reason. So, what attracts mice to your house? Much like humans, mice and rats have basic needs and are drawn to comfortable areas where they can meet those needs and live peacefully. Here are a few reasons why mice might gravitate to your home.
Mice are known as “opportunistic omnivores,” meaning that while they prefer to eat seeds, grains, fruits, and veggies, they’re willing to feast on whatever is available, including food scraps, pet food, and even electrical wiring, paper, and cardboard. Of course, mice also need a regular supply of water to live, which homes can provide through condensation, leaky faucets, pet bowls, or even outdoor containers that hold water. And since mice can live on as little as an ounce of food and water each day, even meager amounts in your home can be enough to keep these furry friends around.
Your home can also be the perfect haven for mice seeking a safe and warm environment to build their nests. Especially in the fall and winter seasons, when the weather gets colder, mice can sense warmth coming from your home’s entry points and will find a way inside, if possible.
A cluttered home is an ideal living space for mice since they like to hide away. Warm and concealed spaces make the perfect place for them to nest and burrow. You should pay special attention to cluttered areas of your home that aren’t often inhabited, like garages, attics, and basements. Keeping your home tidy and free of clutter is a great way to get rid of mice.
Mice can find easy entry into your home by way of tiny holes, vents, damaged screens, or cracks in your foundation. Mice only need openings that are ¼-inch wide, so you’ll want to seal all possible entry points, even extremely small ones.
Mice are climbers. Overgrown tree branches allow them to ladder their way to your home's roof and look for openings where they can come inside and build a warm nest in your attic. In addition, mice see piles of leaves and overgrown shrubs as excellent places to hide and build a shelter.
Make sure to cut branches back to create a perimeter of at least 2 feet around your home, cut your grass short, trim shrubs regularly, and clean up piles of leaves right away.
If your home is mice-friendly, you might wonder if any mice have already made themselves at home. Here are some signs that you may have mice:
Droppings
Stale or musty odors (usually rodent urine)
Scratching sounds in the wall, especially at night
Gnawed holes in food, papers, wood, or insulation
Unusual pet behavior
If you’ve noticed any of these signs, it’s important to act quickly since mice can reproduce five to 10 times per year with a short gestation period of about 20 days. Spotting one mouse in your home could mean there are many more hiding in unseen spots.
Before calling in an extermination pro, you may be able to get rid of rodents naturally using several DIY methods, such as live traps or homemade repellent. DIY costs can usually be kept under $100, depending on the method.
However, if you want to get rid of your mouse infestation safely and completely, it’s best to hire a local mice exterminator. On average, this can cost anywhere from $150 to $600. While pest control costs can be an investment, having a home free of unwanted vermin is well worth the cost. You can expect to pay between $50 and $500 on pest control services. For mice specifically, the cost usually won’t exceed $600.
There are many steps you can take to keep mice out of your home. The most preventative include removing all available food sources, keeping your home clean, and sealing up entry points to your home. You can also try using live traps or even getting a cat. If none of these measures work, enlist the help of a pest control company.
Various scents can help keep mice away from your home, but peppermint is one of the most popular, which overwhelms their sense of smell. Other scents you can try that mice don’t care for include eucalyptus, bergamot, clove, and cinnamon oils. However, be careful with essential oils if you have pets at home, as many are unsafe for cats and dogs.
You’ll want to locate all areas in your home that could be a potential entry point for mice, such as doors, windows, vents, baseboards, holes, and cracks in your home’s foundation. Don’t forget to check less-obvious areas like the attic, plumbing and sewers, and even the roof and gutters. If you check these spots and don’t find any signs of mice, consider hiring a pest control pro to dig deeper into potential hiding spots.
Seeing one mouse in your home doesn’t always indicate a full-blown infestation. However, it’s very likely that if you see one, there are more lurking around. Even if you suspect that a mouse sighting is an isolated incident, it’s important to take it seriously. One mouse will inevitably lead to more if you don’t take the proper measures to eliminate the problem.
