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June 09, 2021
When you own a camp in Maine, mice come with the territory. It doesn’t matter whether your camp is used all year long or shut up for winter, rodent problems are going to happen. So, what attracts mice to camp, how do you prevent a rodent infestation and what do you do to get rid of mice (and/or rats) should they show up at camp? Read on to find out!
Why do I have a mouse problem in my camp?
Maine camps attract mice and other critters like a moth to a flame. That’s because they’re often located in the woods, are typically near a body of water, and they are inhabited by humans who despite best efforts, often supply the food. You see, mice are commensal rodents. That simply means they need us to survive. When a camp offers food, water, and shelter – the three key ingredients to a happy life for mice – you can count on having a problem.
How do I prevent mice from infesting my camp?
In 1736, Benjamin Franklin was worried about fire wiping out Philadelphia and so to remind his fellow citizens to be vigilant, he advised them that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same can be said about combating mice in your camp. It is better to stop a mouse infestation from occurring in the first place then to have to deal with the damage and health risks that come with an infestation after it has already happened. With that in mind, we’ve put together a few our favorite mouse prevention tips.
In order to keep mice out of your camp, you need to fortify it like Fort Knox. No, not the one in Bucksport but rather the one south of Louisville, Kentucky. Known as the most heavily guarded place in the world according to Google, it has become a symbol for security. So how do you secure your camp again a mouse invasion?
Seal. Seal. Seal.
Mice are small rodents and their ability to squeeze through the tiniest of holes and gaps is legendary. In order to keep them out, you must find and seal all potential openings. Steel wool, copper mesh, and caulking are musts haves for this mission.
- Plug cracks and gaps in the foundation, basement, or walls.
- Seal openings around window frames and doors as well.
- If your camp has utilities, you’ll want to caulk around pipes and other entrance holes.
- Install chimney caps and screen vents.
Clean often and thoroughly.
As we mentioned above, mice feed on the food we leave behind. A small crumb on the floor or a scrap of meat lodged between the counter and stove make a fine meal for an opportunistic mouse. In order to prevent a rodent infestation, we’d encourage camp owners to amp up their cleaning efforts.
- Clean up messes as soon as they occur and do not leave food on the counters for any length of time. Also, you should empty the trash can often, sweep, vacuum, and mop frequently, and sanitize food prep areas.
- This effort should extend to the outside as well. Make sure picnic tables, patio sets, and around the fire pit are devoid of human food.
- When you close camp up to go back to the Monday grind or for the season, DO NOT leave a single morsel behind. Sanitize everything!
What to do if mice are already in your camp
If it’s too late and you’ve already discovered a mouse in your camp, we’ve got bad news. Mice are prolific breeders so don’t be surprised to find your camp is playing host to several mice.
Now for the good news, Pine State Pest Solutions offers effective rodent control services for camps in Poland, Casco, Sebago, Monmouth, and Naples as well as throughout our Maine service area. When you contact us for help getting rid of mice, you can count on our locally owned and family-operated pest control company to implement a solution that results in the complete eradication of the existing rodent problem!
Sign up for Pine State’s Home Protection Plan for year-round coverage
In addition to our stand-alone rodent control services, Pine State also offers year-round pest control services that stop mice and rats as well as spiders, ants, and other insects from taking over your camp.
Pine State’s Home Protection is an affordable pest control plan that is ideal for homeowners who want general pest control services that target common house-infesting insects and rodents.
When you sign up for this ongoing service, you’ll receive an initial service visit to treat the existing pest problem and then seasonal service visits spread out over the year to ensure pests stay out. That’s a total of four services annually.
Pests covered under Pine State’s Home Protection plan include carpenter ants, cornfield ants, crazy ants, field ants, little black ants, pavement ants, carpet beetles, cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, flour beetles, ground beetles, hide beetles, larder beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles, warehouse beetles, boxelder bugs, carpenter bees, centipedes, clover mites, American cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, wood cockroaches, field crickets, house crickets, European earwigs, firebrats, cluster flies, fruit flies, bald-faced hornets, European hornets, deer mice, house mice, millipedes, Angoumois grain moths, drain moths, Indian meal moths, Mediterranean flour moths, mud daubers, Norway rats, paper wasps, pill bugs, rice weevils, silverfish, sow bugs, springtails, cellar spiders, daddy longlegs spiders, house spiders, jumping spiders, sac spiders, wolf spiders, Western confider seed bugs, and yellow jackets.
*Some exclusions apply- please see your agreement
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