This time of year, you might start to hear some scratching in your walls or see some evidence of mice in your cupboards.
While they may look cute and snuggly, mice can cause an enormous amount of damage and spread disease. Because mice don't hibernate, they will start to seek shelter and food inside your home when the temperatures start to drop.
What Do Mice Look Like?
There are, of course, many different varieties of mice. They can range in color from black to white and every shade of brown and gray in between. Their bellies are usually a lighter color than the rest of their body. They are generally small, especially house mice, only getting to be about 2-4 inches long, though their hairless tails are also about as long as their bodies. The kind of mice you'd find in your home probably have a slightly pointed nose and black eyes.
How Can I Tell If I Have Mice?
There are several different signs that you might have a mouse problem brewing in your home.
Droppings. You'll likely start to see evidence of the mice before you see or hear the mouse itself. And be careful cleaning these up, they are full of germs.
Scratching sounds. Sometimes you'll be able to hear something scratching inside the walls or scurrying along the floor.
Chew marks. Mice are seeking food inside your home and are perfectly happy to chew through packaging, boxes, or anything else to get to it. If you find any gnaw marks on things in your kitchen, you have a rodent.
Holes. If you're finding any holes in any of your walls or doors, that's a bad sign. Mice will be able to squeeze through small areas, but they'll have no problem eating up your house to get inside.
Changes in pet behavior. For homes with pets, you might notice a change in your pet's behavior. They are able to smell and hear the rodents, even when you can't.
Smells. Mice bring smells in a variety of ways, but if you're smelling something off, it could be rodents. Not only do their bodies smell, but their waste does as well.
How Can I Rid My Home of Mice?
Mice can be hard to get rid of, because they've learned how to come and go from a crack or hole somewhere in your house. First, make sure to inspect and seal up any areas you think might look like an invitation to a rodent.
Next, good housekeeping really pays off when it comes to keep mice at bay. Keeping your trash covered and moved out regularly, making sure spills and crumbs are cleaned up right away, and putting all food into sealed containers will eliminate food sources for your unwanted houseguest.
Rodent stations, which can be purchased at a variety of stores (or sometimes provided by a pest control company, such as Virginia Pest Pro), are a very effective tool for eliminating mice.
If your infestation is severe, contacting a rodent-removal company is likely your best bet.
Oh, and you could always buy a cat.
Call us Virginia Pest Pro today and let us help you this winter!
To learn even more about some of the rodents and pests we have in Richmond, check out our pest library
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