FIXING MOUSE PROBLEMS: DIY OR HIRE A PEST CONTROL COMPANY?
It’s no secret that an infestation of mice in your home can make life difficult. The sooner you get rid of the infestation, the better it is for you and your family. Fortunately, you can hire a professional exterminator or pest control company to help you out with the mice issues.
It’s a big problem when you find mice in your residential or commercial property. But it’s an even bigger problem if you can’t see them. Mice can hide anywhere and eat food, damage furniture, leave waste behind, etc. Apart from all this, mice also increase the threat of infectious diseases in your home.
Below, we’ll discuss how to fight an infestation of mice yourself compared to hiring an expert to do it for you.
DIY Techniques to Fight an Infestation of Mice
If you come across mice in your home and live in the Edmonton area, don’t worry. A large number of exterminators are available for hire. However, before calling one of them, you might try one of the following ways to chase away or eliminate the pesky mice yourself.
Eliminate Sources of Food
Mice can stay alive by eating very little food every day, so if you keep food in the open and uncovered, there’s a chance that the mice will eat it. You need to keep food out of the reach of mice and store it in glass or metal containers that mice can’t chew through. The mice will die in a few days if they lack access to food. All these recommendations apply to pet food as well, so don’t leave pet food out, either. And don’t forget to clean up spills as soon as possible and maintain good sanitation practices.
DIY Techniques to Fight an Infestation of Mice
If you come across mice in your home and live in the Edmonton area, don’t worry. A large number of exterminators are available for hire. However, before calling one of them, you might try one of the following ways to chase away or eliminate the pesky mice yourself.
Eliminate Sources of Food
Mice can stay alive by eating very little food every day, so if you keep food in the open and uncovered, there’s a chance that the mice will eat it. You need to keep food out of the reach of mice and store it in glass or metal containers that mice can’t chew through. The mice will die in a few days if they lack access to food. All these recommendations apply to pet food as well, so don’t leave pet food out, either. And don’t forget to clean up spills as soon as possible and maintain good sanitation practices.
Eliminate Nesting Materials
Try to store all blankets, rugs, bed sheets, fabrics, and other soft nesting materials away from mice in a robust plastic container. If you use weak containers made of light plastic or cardboard, mice might chew through them and gain access to material that can be used to build a nest.
Apart from the interior, keep the exterior of your home free from tree branches, foliage, and other yard debris. A tidy home free of waste and garbage will generally experience fewer mice infestations.
Try Mouse Repellent
You may already have some natural repellents in your home you can use to create an unpleasant environment for mice. Cloves, pepper, peppermint oil, cayenne, etc., can be used to drive mice away. Use cotton balls soaked in any of these repellents and place them where mice activity is occurring.
Eliminate nesting materials
Try to store all blankets, rugs, bed sheets, fabrics, and other soft nesting materials away from mice in a robust plastic container. If you use weak containers made of light plastic or cardboard, mice might chew through them and gain access to material that can be used to build a nest.
Apart from the interior, keep the exterior of your home free from tree branches, foliage, and other yard debris. A tidy home free of waste and garbage will generally experience fewer mice infestations.
Try Mouse Repellent
You may already have some natural repellents in your home you can use to create an unpleasant environment for mice. Cloves, pepper, peppermint oil, cayenne, etc., can be used to drive mice away. Use cotton balls soaked in any of these repellents and place them where mice activity is occurring.
Keep a Cat to Eat Mice
A simple and natural way to fight mice is by keeping a cat in your home. Cats love hunting and eating mice, so you should consider adopting or buying a cat to help you keep them at bay. If you’re not allowed to keep a cat, contact a friend of yours who has one and ask if you can “borrow” it for a day. That might do the trick.
Block Entry Points and Use Live Traps
Make your home rodent-proof or try to seal or block all points through which mice can enter your home. This can prevent the mice problem altogether or help you avoid making a mice infestation worse if one has already begun. In reality, it can be very difficult to seal all entry and access points since mice can squeeze through tiny gaps and holes the diameter of your finger.
You can use live traps if you want to catch mice without killing them. Live traps usually look like boxes in which mice can enter but cannot leave. Once mice are trapped inside, you simply take the box and release them far away from your home so they can’t find their way back.
Keep a cat to eat mice
A simple and natural way to fight mice is by keeping a cat in your home. Cats love hunting and eating mice, so you should consider adopting or buying a cat to help you keep them at bay. If you’re not allowed to keep a cat, contact a friend of yours who has one and ask if you can “borrow” it for a day. That might do the trick.
Block entry points and use live traps
Make your home rodent-proof or try to seal or block all points through which mice can enter your home. This can prevent the mice problem altogether or help you avoid making a mice infestation worse if one has already begun. In reality, it can be very difficult to seal all entry and access points since mice can squeeze through tiny gaps and holes the diameter of your finger.
You can use live traps if you want to catch mice without killing them. Live traps usually look like boxes in which mice can enter but cannot leave. Once mice are trapped inside, you simply take the box and release them far away from your home so they can’t find their way back.
Hiring Pest Control for Mice Infestation
Not everyone can or wants to deal with an infestation of mice themselves, which is when the option of hiring a pest control company or a professional exterminator comes into play. Savvy Pest Control Ltd. is among the top exterminators in Edmonton and is licensed for exterior mice control.
Based on your needs, our pest control professionals will use a combination of rodenticides, baits, traps, etc. where they’re most needed. After examining your home and assessing the extent of the infestation, our pest control technicians will come up with a plan. Here’s what they’ll do in most cases:
Block Entry Points
A pest control professional will first block entry points for mice, as they can enter almost anywhere because of their small size and highly flexible bodies. The exterminator will examine both the interior and exterior of your home and seal all dents, cracks, and potential vulnerable spots. The pest control team may use materials such as sheet metal, wire mesh, and steel wool to block small entry points. If necessary, they’ll also examine and seal vents and utility pipes.
Set Up traps
Another thing an exterminator may do is set up mice traps in your home, especially where the mice are most active. A variety of traps may be installed in the kitchen, bathroom, basement, storage rooms, attic, and other areas. Different traps catch different mice species. If the population of mice in your home or business is small, the exterminator may use snap traps and glue boards. These traps don’t use harmful chemicals.
Setting up traps
Another thing an exterminator may do is set up mice traps in your home, especially where the mice are most active. A variety of traps may be installed in the kitchen, bathroom, basement, storage rooms, attic, and other areas. Different traps catch different mice species. If the population of mice in your home or business is small, the exterminator may use snap traps and glue boards. These traps don’t use harmful chemicals.
Set Up Bait Stations
Just like traps, bait stations can also be used to kill the mice. The mice die from eating poisoned bait located inside the stations. A common misconception among people is that baits will attract more mice than before and make things worse, but this doesn’t happen when bait stations are properly used. Regulated high-quality baits are effective at killing a lot of mice in a short period. Many pest control companies prefer using baits over traps to handle mice problems.
Mice Fumigation
If the infestation is severe and the species are dangerous, then the exterminator may perform a fumigation. Fumigation is a process in which vaporized pesticide is released under controlled conditions into soil and buildings. It’s a delicate treatment that only certified pest control professionals can perform. You can’t be inside the premises during the fumigation, and you can only come back after several hours have passed.
Setting up bait stations
Just like traps, bait stations are also used to kill the mice. The mice die from consuming poisoned baits located inside the stations. A common misconception among people is that baits will attract more mice than before and will make things worse, but this is not true when bait stations are adequately used. Regulated high-quality baits are effective in killing a lot of mice in a short period of time. Many pest control companies prefer using baits over traps for mice problems.
Setting up bait stations
Just like traps, bait stations can also be used to kill the mice. The mice die from eating poisoned bait located inside the stations. A common misconception among people is that baits will attract more mice than before and make things worse, but this doesn’t happen when bait stations are properly used. Regulated high-quality baits are effective at killing a lot of mice in a short period. Many pest control companies prefer using baits over traps to handle mice problems.
Mice Fumigation
If the infestation is severe and the species are dangerous, then the exterminator may perform a fumigation. Fumigation is a process in which vaporized pesticide is released under controlled conditions into soil and buildings. It’s a delicate treatment that only certified pest control professionals can perform. You can’t be inside the premises during the fumigation, and you can only come back after several hours have passed.
Conclusion
If traps or bait stations aren’t deployed the right way, the mice may develop shyness to these devices. Once this happens, even experienced rodent control experts will have a tough time getting rid of the mice. This is why it’s important to be well informed before you try to control a mice infestation yourself or before you hire a non-experienced pest control technician/exterminator.
Few things can frustrate and annoy you as much as an infestation of mice in your home or business. These small creatures are smelly, they spoil your food, and they can spread infectious diseases. If you’ve discovered an infestation of mice on your property, consider searching Google or Bing using the phrases pest control Edmonton or Edmonton pest control to find reliable help from the best-rated companies in town.
We’ve discussed a few of the DIY techniques you can use to tackle a mouse infestation in your home or business in Edmonton. You can try to chase the mice away yourself, but if they’re still around in a few weeks, a top-rated company like Savvy Pest Control Ltd. is always ready and willing to help you out!