Do you think you have some winter visitors? Mice are known to live in people’s houses because they are warm and relatively safe from predators. Human homes are also full of food; a bag of bird seed left open in the garage would be enough to feed entire generations of mice. If you’re worried about an infestation this winter, give Mouse Control Toronto a call.
Mice are nocturnal, omnivorous rodents that measure somewhere between 8 and 20cm long, tails included. These rodents have characteristically large, round ears and beady black eyes that bulge out of their faces. Their tails are also nearly just as long as their bodies. Mice feed mostly on a vegetarian diet, but they will eat meat and dairy, too. There are hundreds of different species of mouse out there, but only 13 live in Canada. The two most likely to invade Ontarian homes are the house mouse and the deer mouse. While the house mouse is usually grey, the deer mouse has a brown back and white belly.
Mice usually nest in quiet, enclosed spaces such as within the insulation of a kitchen wall or in a cluttered area of the garage. Unused drawers, floor voids, false ceilings, and even voids under kitchen appliances are common nesting sites. No matter the time of year, mice prefer to nest where it is warm and close to food. If there is a nest in your home, you may be able to hear scratching and squealing sounds emanating from it at night. Other signs of an infestation include droppings, chew marks, smear marks, and the smell of urine in the house.
To protect your home from a winter mouse invasion, store food in sealed containers and tidy up the pantry. Be sure not to leave any food out overnight and vacuum regularly. Then, check your kitchen, basement, garage, and pantry for any holes the mice could be used to get around. Seal these up with caulking or stuff them with steel mesh. Examine the exterior of your home as well and make all necessary repairs. Mice often get inside by sneaking through a crack in the foundation or a gap between vinyl sliding. Finally, cap dryer vents with steel mesh and consider adding weatherstripping to the bottom of the garage door.
If you’re currently dealing with a mouse infestation, call a professional pest remover for help. Professionals are experts at finding nests and knowing where to place traps. They also have the best products on the market. Mouse Control, for instance, places bait stations in areas of high mouse activity to quickly and efficiently eliminate the population. These are little tamper-proof boxes that require a key to open and that only contain what is harmful to mice. We also offer mouse-proofing services in which we will seal and block off all potential entry points. Call Mouse Control today: 647-496-0492.
