If you’ve got an ongoing mouse problem in your home and you’re working with a pest control professional, there are things you can do to insure that your control program works. Any pest control technician will tell you that it’s difficult to permanently eliminate mice without some help from the customer. New mice will continue to move into the account unless the customer helps out by eliminating available food for mice and does some rodent-proofing to block openings, making it more difficult for mice to get inside.

House mice feeding on cereal. Shutterstock.

Hopefully, you are already taking some of these mouse prevention measures. Doing your best to incorporate these few steps into your routine can be an important factor that determines whether you spend the rest of the winter living with mice in your home…or not.

CLEAN-UP STEPS INSIDE TO PREVENT MICE

• Regularly clean stovetops, ovens, stove pan drawers, and broilers.
• Sweep kitchen floors and clean under stoves and refrigerators often.
• Don’t leave food on counters or used pans on the stove or in the sink overnight.
• Store cereals, nuts, seeds, grain, and dry pet food in sealed glass, plastic, or metal containers.
• Don’t store bulk onions, potatoes, rice, etc. in open bins, and especially not under the kitchen sink.
• Pick up any pet food not eaten before going to bed. Store dry pet food in a sealed container.
• Take trash to the dumpster, trash cans, or trash chute each evening. Make sure that indoor garbage bags and cans are tightly sealed overnight.

CLEAN-UP STEPS OUTSIDE TO PREVENT MICE

• Use a bird feeder with a catch tray and clean up seed under the feeder regularly. Store birdseed in a container with a tight lid.
• Don’t store garbage outside in plastic bags – they’re not rodent-proof.
• Pick up fallen fruit and rotting vegetables in the garden. Don’t place food scraps on top of the compost pile.
• Don’t leave pet food or animal feed outside.
• Remove piles of stones, boards, firewood, or debris that are stacked near the foundation. Stack lumber and firewood 12 inches off of the ground.
• Clear brush, weeds, and ground covers around the foundation. Remove ivy from buildings.
• Remove or reduce accumulated mulch against the foundation.

Mouse feeding on bird seed outside in the snow. Shutterstock.

When your pest control professional shows up for service, you can help by pointing out any evidence of mice that you have seen such as nest material, stored seeds and nuts, gnawing, droppings, and burrows or holes.

If you don’t already have a pest control professional handling your mouse problem, call the best – Colonial Pest!