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November 15, 2019
As fall gives way to colder days and nights, your mind is full of the preparations that must be done before winter truly hits. Outerwear must be pulled out of storage, summer clothes will be reluctantly put away, and holiday plans are waiting to be made. In all the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to let some things slip through the cracks - quite literally. Don’t let mice slip through the cracks and move into your Maine home this winter!
How to Identify a Mouse Infestation
Sometimes we don’t think about avoiding problems until it’s too late. If mice have already moved into your home, you’ll need to take steps to eliminate them before you can take steps to prevent future infestations. But how do you know if you have a mouse problem?
When mice move in, they don’t usually go unnoticed for very long. Often the first sign you’ll notice will be their droppings. Mice leave small black pellets in the places they travel. You’ll often find this fecal matter on your counters or in your cupboards and drawers.
Mice also make noise as move around in your attic, crawl spaces, or between your walls. If you hear scratching or squeaking noises, it’s likely that mice have moved in.
Damage to your home is another sign of a mouse infestation. Mice chew almost all the time. If you find holes chewed in walls, insulation, wiring, or even in piping, a rodent is the most likely culprit. You may also find nests made out of bits of insulation, paper, cardboard, cloth, or whatever else the mice found around your home.
Why You Don’t Want Mice in Your Maine Home
Mice may be cute, but they aren’t animals you want running loose in your house. Not only do they cause costly and dangerous damage to homes, they also can spread many diseases and bring in parasites. Allowing them to stay in your house puts your family at risk of illness and injury.
How to Keep Mice Out of Your Portland, Maine Home
If you haven’t seen signs of a mouse infestation, now is the perfect time to ensure that your Maine home is protected against them.
- Check around the exterior of your house for holes, cracks, or damage that needs to be filled or repaired. Keep in mind that mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime and can gnaw away at a smaller gap until it’s large enough to fit through.
- If it’s not already done, cap your chimney, cover your soffits, and place wire mesh in the openings of downspouts.
- Cut back foliage that comes in contact with your house.
- Keep your grass trimmed and all lawn debris cleaned up to eliminate potential rodent hiding spots around your house.
- Eliminate food sources both indoors and out by placing all food and trash in tightly covered containers and cleaning up any messes immediately after they occur.
- Reduce excess moisture in and outside of your house by ensuring proper drainage, eliminating areas of standing water, and using dehumidifiers.
What to Do if You Have a Mouse Infestation in Your Maine Home
For current infestations, you can’t just follow the prevention steps above. You’ll need to first eliminate the mice in your house, then work to make sure you don’t have another infestation in the future. While setting out traps or poison may take care of a few mice, it rarely eliminates the entire problem. Mice are cautious by nature and will quickly learn when you’re after them. Furthermore, these methods can put you and your family in danger if used incorrectly.
Instead, contact the pros at Pine State Pest Solutions. Our rodent control services provide indoor and outdoor control as well as exclusion work to ensure that your mouse problem is taken care of completely. We also provide landscape and behavior recommendations to protect your home from future occurrences. Keep mice out of your Maine home this winter with help from the experts who can take care of your rodent problem safely and effectively. Contact Pine State Pest Solutions today.
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