Think mice scuttle in your attic?
It’s not uncommon and rodents are among the most prolific pests in a home. The most common happens to be the house mouse. A female house mouse can give birth to half-dozen babies every three weeks.
While they look cute, mice are devastating as they can damage your home with holes and chewed wires.
They are also capable of spreading diseases. Among the health risks associated with such rodents include salmonella, leptospirosis, and even Hantavirus.
To prevent such health risks and property damage, you need to get rid of these mice. Here are the ways on how you can get rid of mice in your attic space.
1. Identifying If Mice are in the Attic
Before you get into the business of getting rid of the mice in the attic, you need to know if there are signs of them at all. Here are some signs to look out for to know that there are mice in your attic.
Listen for Noise in the Attic
Take note of the scratching of tiny feet against the attic floor. The scuffling, scurrying, and squeaking are clear signals of their presence. There would be times when you don’t hear anything but that doesn’t rule out the possibility that mice are in your attic.
This is true during the daytime, as mice sleep during these hours. At night, it becomes a different matter. This is the usual time when you hear movement and activity from mice.
Look for Visible Signs
Remember to be vigilant when looking, in this case. If you suspect that there are mice in the attic, be on a lookout for any visible marks. Take note of these markings and signs in your attic:
- Urine-stained marks
- Mouse droppings
- Greasy rub marks
- Chewed items
- Shredded paper or fiber formed as nests
Are you suspecting that everything became quiet? These markings are enough to tell you that you have mice in your home. However, these are not the only things that you should look out for.
Look for Possible Entryways
Look for holes that would act as their passageways or burrows. These may lead to other areas in your home and could lead to more problems. These holes may end up going through the insulation.
Not only that, take note of possible entry points in your home that mice use to access the attic. Among possible entryways include window or door gaps, as well as vent and pipe openings.
Cracks in the foundation can also act as possible entry points for mice and rodents. This is thanks to their size that they can squeeze through the smallest of pathways.
2. Possible Reasons Why Mice Nest in Attics
The reasons behind mice nesting in the attic boils down to these possible factors: food source, shelter, and insulation.
Mice gather in areas where food is within reach. While it’s unlikely that food gets stored in the attic, there might be edible everyday items that mice consume or gnaw at.
Shelter surfaces as a primary reason, preferring isolation from predators and threats. It is also to shield them from the elements, especially from the harsh cold. These critters also make use of your boxes and insulation to create tunnels and passageways.
3. How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Attic
We have laid out the signs and the reasons why they want to be in your attic. Let’s look at these methods on how to get rid of mice in the attic. These range from preventive measures to direct solutions that you can use:
Seal the Entryways
After identifying the possible entry points that the mice used to nest in the attic, the best course of action is to seal and block off these areas.
The first place you should seal up are the holes. Start with the ones that are bigger than a quarter of an inch.
Make use of caulk and steel wool scouring pads to seal up the smaller holes. Meanwhile, use concrete mortar, flat metal, or even hardware cloth for the larger ones.
Gaps found between windows and doors are open game for mice to pass through. Be sure to have a tight fit on your doors, windows, and screens. If you have loose-fitting doors, you can also make use of weatherproofing strips to keep the mice out.
Trim the Trees and Bushes
After sealing up the entrances, make sure you remove all possible entry points for mice to enter from.
Due to how small and nimble mice are, they can also use branches to reach the roof. Have trees and bushes with branches reaching towards your home trimmed.
This way, you can ensure that they have no means of entering the attic.
Secure your Food Storage Areas
Since mice go towards food sources, make sure your storage areas are mouse-proof. Store items like dried grain and meats in sealed containers. These can be metal containers, glass jars, and so on.
Make use of materials that prevent mice from chewing through. This keeps your food safe from such pests.
Rid the Attic and Basement of Clutter
Another way is to clean up and de-clutter the attic. This helps you clear out items and prevent mice from nesting in the attic. Also, this helps you from checking for unwanted items that need disposal.
Regular Garbage Disposal
This is one preventive measure that needs reprisal. Aside from cleaning up and ridding the attic of clutter. Regular garbage disposal ensures that it does not attract any rodents into your home.
This particular chore can ensure a load of preventive measures. It pays to continue this act without any second thoughts.
Lay the Mouse Traps
At this point, we are past the preventive steps as we veer towards pest control. One of the tried and tested methods against mice is through the use of traps.
In fact, there are various types of traps that you can make use of. These can range from the humane to the downright lethal.
Cage traps are perfect for a catch and release method. They work as a humane means of capturing mice. However, certain mice and rats end up being more of a pest to bother capturing for release towards the outdoors.
Glue traps are also effective in capturing mice and rats. This ensures that they have no means of escape once they touch the adhesive surface. Snap traps are also effective in capturing these small creatures.
In luring the mice into the traps, we discourage the use of cheese as bait as it becomes rancid as time passes. Instead, use long-lasting food bait like peanut butter or chocolate as bait for the traps.
The use of mouse bait stations would work as well. These poisoned items work wonders when placed in areas that are out of children’s reach but easy access for the mice.
One word of advice when using traps: always remember to check on the traps and dispose of the mice, especially the dead or dying ones. If left unchecked, the stench may spread and cause more problems.
Call for Professionals
Now, if all the DIY methods backfire or end up not working for you, call the experts to do the job. You will need expert pest control services to help you get rid of these rodents.
Our professional technicians have the training and the right tools for the job.
This ensures a high success rate when it comes to getting rid of the mice. They know the right placements as well. This ensures the issue gets resolved in a safe and effective manner.
4. Cleanup and Repair
Once the mice are no longer in your attic, what should be the next step?
At this point, check for any damages that the mice inflicted. Patch up the holes on the walls and floor to prevent possible entryways. Repair the wirings if those got damaged, replacing them when possible.
Other areas to inspect include leaking pipes and cracked areas. Repair them as much as you can to prevent future incidents of mice infestation.
Also, de-clutter the attic to prevent other pests from nesting. Spiders and mice are among the creatures that thrive on clutter.
Whether it’s during the winter or the heat of summer, make sure your home is pest-proof.
Make Your Memphis Home Mice-Free Today!
Despite their size, the mice in your attic are capable of fitting through any kind of opening. Also, despite their size, they are capable of destroying property.
To prevent any of these circumstances, exercise preventive measures and address the problem. With a professional, you would know where to look and what tool to use.
We offer those services to aid you with eliminating pests. Whether it is residential or office-based, we have the right means to get rid of your pests.
To know more about how we can assist you, feel free to contact us today.
