The clues could be in the form of mice poop, cracks across the wall surface or at the bottom edge of cupboards, etc.

Solutions to get mice are numerous and you need to decide on a suitable approach that would suit your property and match your psyche. Lots of people have concerns concerning eradicating rodents and for them, the gentle approaches of mice eradication are more suitable.

A mice capture method along with suitable mice lure has been applied for a long period to trap mice. Primarily, you will discover about three types of lure traps applied, bar snap trap, glue-trap plus poisoned bait.

In the initial variation, there is a bar than snaps down any time mice chew at the bait and the trap exit is closed. In your stick trap, rodents get busted in the glue while aiming to move/go beyond the sticky strip of the trap to take the bait.

In the last technique, the sad scene of mice killing needs to be managed. Additionally, the mice after eating the venom added bait might pass away in some faraway area of your home and release a stinking smell.

Several wildlife-rights activists have clearly protested on the usage of traps with adhesive-planks since the mice are subject to incredible anguish. If these mice are permitted to remain on those boards for days on end they steadily pass away because of starvation, dehydration, and asphyxiate.

For rodents that move quickly the adhesive is probably not quite effective.

Many of us implement traps that do not crush mice and then let go of these rodents in the wilderness far away from their houses. The option for mice bait for these traps depends very much on the construction of the traps.

One particular illustration of a mousetrap comprises of a suitable container of fixed sizing. The suitable lure should be fixed at the edge of the lumber piece that dangles on the entry of the pail. An individual might make this set up in his home or acquire one from a grocery store. After the rodent gets enticed because of the bait, it falls into the pail and remains confined around the bucket.

Bathroom paper tubes and rubbish containers can also be used as options to the bucket-mousetraps, especially in houses having space limits. Plastic soda plastic bottles and wooden blocks also get the job done pretty efficiently in capturing mice.

The main variants in mice lure which are used by householders to catch rodents are sticky baits, aromatic lures, and candy lures. Aside from peanut butter, additional sticky baits that are commonly used are chocolate buttons, jellies, and various other decent baits.

It’s more suitable to melt the solid baits onto the mouse trap so they are smooth. An individual’s main purpose must be to completely bait the rodent rather than to feed them. Sticky baits that are tricky to draw from the mice trap have to be selected.

The black mouse varies in color. It is usually black, brown or grey on top with a belly that is light colored. There is no specific species categorized as black mice. These are the mice mostly found in homes. They range between 6cm to 9cm in length. When they invade your home they will nest in cabinets, walls and areas close to food sources.

Black mice are very destructive because they chew just about everything including plastic. Because of these behaviours, they are known to cause fires when they gnaw through plastic insulation of electric wires leaving them bare and ready to spark at the slightest touch.

While one may think that they look cute and adorable, the fact is they contaminate surfaces and food with their saliva, urine and droppings. This can transmit diseases like hantavirus and salmonellosis. If you have a large mice population in your home the risk of getting infected is high. These diseases are deadly.

They feed on anything

Mice can chew through wood, rubber, aluminum, drywall, insulation and even soft concrete. Grains are the natural food for mice and they will eat a box of cereal effortlessly. They will most likely make their nest in the pantry or kitchen because of proximity to food. Believe it or not, mice eat about 20 times a day.

The problem is that they will contaminate way more food than they consume leaving your and your family in danger of disease exposure.

Eating food contaminated by mice is sure to make you sick. Items of food that have been contaminated should put in your outside garbage immediately.

They are prolific breeders

With one female producing six to ten litters annually with an average of seven babies per litter it doesn’t take long to have major infestation.

How they get inside your home

Mice can fit in smaller spaces than seem impossible. Such places include doorways, windows, gaps around cracks in your outer walls and holes in the foundation are some key entry points. Others are chimneys and wherever utility wires and pipes are routed into your home.

It is most likely you have mice in the house if you find mouse poop or nesting material and hear scurrying noises at night. If you find chewed food packages, then chances are that you have mice.

Cleaning up mice urine and droppings should be taken with the utmost caution to avoid getting infected with the diseases they transmit.

Always wear protective gear when doing so such as latex gloves and a mask. The dust from sweeping and vacuuming releases bacteria. Breathing in this the dust will in time make you quite ill. The most effective way to go about it is to mix bleach and water then spray this on the affected area.

Give it five minutes to work its magic then wipe the area clean using paper towels. Dispose the paper towels in the garbage bin outside the house. The area should then be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly.

Ridding your home of mice

Use mouse traps. The regular wooden snap traps work very well. Place plenty of them around. Mix this with glue trap and bait traps for better results.

Mouse proof your house by sealing all potential entry points and clearing around your property of any clutter that might offer mice hiding places. The best solution though is to get a cat that enjoys hunting mice. It’s in their DNA to terrorize mice.

If this measures are ineffective it’s time to call a pest control professional in your area.

Some people cannot tell a field mouse from a house mouse apart. You can recognize the field mouse by its fur which is sandy brown in color with a lighter hued belly. It has a long tail and a pointed snout. Its’ eyes, hairy ears and hind feet are bigger than those of its cousin the house mouse.

As their name suggests, field mice will mostly be found outdoors. The field mice will look for warm places to move into when the weather starts getting cold and that means your cozy home unfortunately becomes quite an ideal place to ride out the winter.

When they infiltrate your home they will build nests in walls, under appliances, pantry, attics and kitchen. Pantry and the kitchen are often more susceptible to their best building because of their proximity to food sources.

The field mice are quite destructive. Many fires have been attributed to these rodents. That is because they are known to chew on everything including electric wire plastic insulators leaving them naked and ready to spark at any time.

Field mice will contaminate surfaces, kitchen counters tops and food with their fecal matter, urine and saliva. They are a vector for diseases like salmonellosis, tularemia, hantavirus and tick borne diseases. The infection risk factor spikes up alarmingly as the mice population in your home grows.

What do field mice eat

Mice will gnaw through just about anything wood, drywall, rubber, insulation, soft concrete and even aluminum. They eat grains, seeds and fruits. Mice eat up to 20 times a day. The food they contaminate is more than they eat. Contaminated food has to be disposed of because Ingesting it will make you sick. Food items that have been contaminated should be thrown   in your outside garbage.

Breeding

A female mouse is sexually mature from 4 to 7 weeks. She has a gestation period of 21 days and will birth a litter of 8 to 12 babies. A female mouse can give birth every month. So their ability to grow their population is insane if left unchecked.

How they access your home

Mice possess the amazing ability to get through spaces that seem impossible. These rodents are very agile, they can swim, climb and jump enabling them to access your home through the toilet, broken drains, gaps around windows, doorways, cracks in your outer walls and gaps in the foundation.  Other points of entry are chimneys, where utility wires and pipes go through the wall and space between the roof and walls.

You will know you have mice if you spot, mice droppings, nesting material and frequently hear scurrying noises at night.

To clean up mice urine and fecal matter take precautions against getting infected with the diseases transmitted by mice. Always wear a mask and latex gloves. Spray a mixture of bleach on the affected area. Give it 10 minutes to seep in and then wipe it with paper towels and dispose them properly. Have the whole area cleaned and disinfected thoroughly.

Ridding your home of mice

You can rid your home of mice by doing the following:

• Seal any cracks and crevices that a mouse can crawl into
• Cover gaps and openings in the foundation.
• Sort out any opening or gaps around vents, utilities and pipes.
• Ensure windows, doors and screens fit tightly.
• Meat and grains should be stored in resalable airtight containers.
• Make sure your compound is clean and free of debris that might offer mice hiding places.
• Use mouse traps strategically placed in the house and yard.

Conclusion

If the you have tried the above and the mice population seems to be growing, it time to reach out to a pest control professional for more effective and safe solutions.

Unfortunately, most people don’t think about these things until they already have a problem with rats or mice. It’s highly recommended using these steps on how to get rid of rats in attic first and then moving on to a more extensive inside attack.

Rodents (rats and mice) can be a big issue this time of year. As it gets cold outside rodents will make their way inside your home and business looking for shelter and food.

Rodents carry diseases and can cause extensive damage to electrical systems and other parts of your home or business. Did you know that 1 in 20 house fires are caused by rodents chewing on electrical wires in people’s attics?

That being said, a little prevention can go a long way to keeping your home or business rodent-free.

There are 3 main ways we will look at keeping rodents OUT: eliminating entry points, preventing food sources, and basic prevention with bait stations and traps.

1. One thing that is commonly overlooked is how the rodents are gaining entry into your home or business. It is important to make sure you check your building on a regular basis and make sure there are no obvious entry points.

Rodents can squeeze through holes and cracks the thickness of a pencil! Weather-stripping is a commonly overlooked entry point. Most garage doors, as well as doors leading to the outside, will have some form of weather stripping on it. If you can see daylight coming in, it needs to be replaced.

Pay attention to pipe/air conditioning penetrations going into the wall. When buildings are built, contractors are famous for cutting holes much larger than the pipe that will go into it. You can either patch this up or use steel wool to plug the hole.

2. Steel wool is very effective at plugging holes because the rodents will cut their gums when trying to chew through it. Even if you have a hole up high, plug it. Remember that rats and mice are excellent climbers.

An available food source is an easy way to attract a rat or mouse problem. By leaving bowls of dog or cat food outside, or even inside for that matter, you are inviting rodents into your home.

Be sure to only feed your pets when they are going to eat, and remove any standing food sources.

Remember if the rodents have an easily available food source, like dog or cat food, they will not consume the rat or mouse bait you put out. This is an important tip for those trying to prevent rats and mice as well as those trying to deal with an infestation.

3. The third key to preventing a rodent problem is utilizing a monthly baiting program. By placing bait boxes around your property, filling them with bait, and checking them monthly, you can keep the rodents from ever making it inside your home.

This holds true with both residential homes as well as businesses. If rat infestation worsens, better call in pest control for rodent removal services.

There are several monikers that the brown rat goes by including

• Street rat
• Hanover rat
• Common rat
• Sewer rat
• Norway rat
• Norwegian rat
• Wharf rat
• Parisian rat

However its scientific name is Rattus Norvegicus. Although it can be found in various parts of the world the brown rat is native to Asia. In the 1700 it was introduced to Europe and later found its way to the United States on the ships that made their way into the Americas. It has managed to succeed at surviving in different environments because it has the ability to adapt to any new surroundings. The brown rat will live in any environment that provides water, food, shelter. They will live inside human structures or they can burrow into a wet river banks or under a shed.

Appearance

The brown rat looks like a mouse only with a bigger body and a scaly tail. The muzzle is blunt and the ears are small and pointed. It typically weighs over half a kilo with the weight going up depending on the availability of food. By this we mean does it have available food sources and shelter that keeps it away from the predators. Although it is called the brown rat it can be brown or black in color. Of course, there is the true black rat that is much larger than the brown rat with a much shorter tail.

The brown rat like all other rats has a very well developed sense of smell and taste. It is also has a keen sense of touch. Did you know that rats utilize ultrasound frequency to communicate giving them a fantastic sense of hearing.  They are particularly sensitive to any type of noise that will get the scurrying out of the way and to safety.

Brown rat infestation

It is important to curb the infestation of brown rats because they are not only a nuisance but they are also disease carriers. They have been known to carry diseases like Listeria, Hantavirus, Bubonic plague, Salmonella and Toxoplasma.

Since they are gnawers the structural damage done by brown rats can cause fires, flooding by puncturing plumbing pipes and gas pipes leaking resulting even in death. In fact, according to the insurance sectors rats are responsible for 25% of the electrical fires in buildings.

How to prevent Brown rats?

Most people wonder how to prevent a brown rat infestation. Well there are a few things you can do.

• Begin by eliminating any places where the rat can hide. This means seal off the gaps and keep the area under the shed clean and clean. Rats can squeeze through any place that has a gap of 15mm.
• Cut down the areas around the yard and fence to keep the rats away from the house and prevent them from gaining entry.
• Cover any waste from the house and close the dustbin outside the house. Also find a way to cover the compost pit.
• Use poisons and traps to kill off the rats if you decide to do this yourself. Alternatively, call a pest control technician.

Businesses and homes are not all safe from the risks and damages associated with a rodent infestation: rats in house and in the yard, and such.

The need for good rodent control and elimination is quite a common issue in Arizona, where homeowners and business proprietors are at great risk for infestation.

The presence of rodents on one’s roof goes well beyond the typical rat control issue. The disease risk notwithstanding, the presence of roof rats can wreak havoc on residential and commercial property. It is important to know steps on how to keep roof rat infestations under control.

Rats are a major carrier of hazardous diseases and a number of bacterial infections, among them are:

• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
• the plague
• Murine Typhus
• Leptospirosis
• Eosinophilic Meningitis, and
• Rat Bite Fever.

This coterie of diseases are all highly dangerous and affect anyone regardless of age or state of health, which is why controlling rat infestation must be one of a homeowner’s or business owner’s top priorities.

Baits, when you use traditional snap traps, you normally have to lure rodents by putting peanut butter or the classic cheese wedge on it.

However, you can also buy special baits that are meant to be used alone. These baits are poisonous, so it would be prudent to keep it away from pets and children (obviously).

These rat control baits are designed so that rodents who ingest the bait would seek out light and die outside of your house or apartment, and not rot and leave a funky gross smell in some dark unreachable nook in your house.

Baiting by itself is an effective rat control method to kill the little vermin without having to an undertaker’s job of disposing of the remains.

Baits in pellet form can be bought which work on both rats and mice and can be left in a tray.

Some baits even come in nifty pouches that rats can chew through which you can just leave in corners where rats frequent.

If you have rodent control problems, it is easy to contract diseases carried by the pests since it is easy to spread the bacteria carried by rats by their droppings or by them coming into contact with food. Rat bites aren’t the only way to spread disease.

Aside from droppings, urine is also another highly dangerous thing to come into contact with. If the pest infestation is not put under control, you will be at great risk for contracting diseases from the presence of roof rats.

The ingestion of droppings, the contact of rat urine with foodstuffs or water, on the skin even, and the inhalation of the fume from rat excrement is sufficient to infect a person.

The removal of rat droppings as well as any attempt at a thorough and quick termination of a rodent infestation can be dangerous and should be handled by a trained and qualified Arizona Pest Control specialist.

The process of cleaning, decontamination, and termination is fast, reliable, and will prove beneficial for any business establishment or household.

For anyone who has these in the homes, they should contact exterminating companies or mouse and mice control companies to help them how to get rid of a mouse once and for all.

There are many creatures who love to live next to humans because of all the waste that we produce. Even the act of our daily living produces debris which we are often not aware of and it is this that can draw in all manner of creatures to live off us.

Rodents are particularly dangerous animals for us to live with since their urine and other bodily waste carry all manner of diseases that are deadly to man.

Of course, it is impossible to rid the world of these creatures. No matter how much we try, they will always be there since there are more of them than us. However, we can do something to hold back the numbers if we take some time to do it.

In the home, leaving food and water out overnight will bring a host of pests in. Easy food and water are what most pests are looking for.

Since we cannot clean up every single crumb, it is obvious that some animals will come and feed. Leaving poisoned bait down where only the pests can get at it then would seem to be the answer.

The problem with anything that is poisonous to the pest is also poisonous to us human beings too. If the kids or pets can get to the bait, they will surely get very sick indeed so it is important that this is only left where the pest can get at it.

Also, any foodstuffs or dried food that is left in the garage, for example, should be covered or put in plastic bins since the rodents will urinate just about anywhere.

There was a case of a woman who got terribly sick after purchasing a can of soda at a store and drinking from it without washing it first.

Of course, no one would think that this would be a problem, but for her, it almost killed her. It was found that a rodent had urinated on the top and it had a particularly virulent disease at the time.

These days, these great companies have taken to spraying the whole house at once with all kinds of chemicals to finish off anything that is inside.

Tented covers are put over the whole place and a smoke ‘bomb’ is set off inside. Other chemicals used can include those for termites or fleas, ticks and any other creature that the household can do without.

The downside of this though is that the house cannot be lived in for a couple of days. However, this blanket approach is excellent for those with a problem that is difficult to cure.

Finally, getting in rodent removal experts is probably the answer to all of these problems. Online there are many companies which offer all kinds of services which should suit the householder down to the ground.

Generally, when people hear the word rodent, the image of a mouse or maybe even a rat immediately jumps to mind and finding out more about how to get rid of rodents.

The truth is, the rodent family includes a large number of mammals, some of whom have much less negative connotations associated with them, though that does not make them any less of a nuisance.

The main, identifying characteristic of all rodents is that they have a pair of continuously growing incisors in both their lower and upper jaws. These teeth must constantly be “manicured” short by gnawing and chewing on things.

Rats and mice carry a slew of diseases and are just not pleasant to have around. If these little furry visitors have moved into your home or business, it’s time to take some firm steps toward rodent control.

Some diseases brought about by rodents directly and indirectly include:

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome:

This is caused by white-footed mice, cotton and rice rats, or deer mouse. H.P.S. appears in the form of a virus and occurs in North and South America. It can spread by bites, direct contact with the animals or their excrement and breathing dust which has been contaminated by their urine or excrement.

Leptospirosis:

This is caused by bacteria and occurs globally. It can be spread via food or water that has been contaminated with rodent urine.

Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis:

This is a virus caused by a house-mouse. It occurs globally and is caused by bite wounds, direct contact or breathing in contaminated dust.

The Plague:

This occurs in the United States, South America, Africa, and Asia. Wild rodents, wood rats, prairie dogs, and fox squirrels can be carriers. It spreads by either direct contact with an infected animal or even their fleas. This is a bacterial disease.

The three steps in rodent control are seal up, trap up and clean up.

To seal up, a homeowner must make certain that there are no ways for rats and mice to get into their property.

These animals can squeeze through even the tiniest of openings, so everything must be tightly sealed. Weatherproofing doors and windows, as well as sealing cracks, will eliminate entryways for the tiny creatures.

To trap, there are a variety of methods, including classic mousetraps that are baited with peanut butter or cheese that snap shut, or bait which will poison them or a sticky paper which will they will attach to upon crossing.

There are even humane live catch and release methods that work well. Rats tend to be more cautious and won’t always fall for the traps right away. Be patient. Mice are not quite as bright and will be caught more easily.

To clean up, all droppings and nests must be completely eradicated. All areas must be kept free of any type of food source, including dried beans and pasta. All foods must be kept in tightly sealed containers or inside the refrigerator.

Get the rodents under control; protect your home and protect your family from these carriers of dangerous health risks.

No one likes to see their beautiful lawn or landscaping ruined by annoying rodents: the moles and voles burrowing tunnels underneath it. Knowing what type of pest you have can help the exterminators know what removal method will be best.

Moles, for example, are territorial and usually only one or two will be present. Voles live in colonies and can do lots more damage much faster.

Moles

Moles are almost completely subterranean animals, so seeing one is rare. Usually, they are between six and seven inches long, with long pointed noses and webbed feet. If you see one, you might be able to recognize him by his lack of external ears.

The primary damage from moles comes from their tunneling. An industrious mole can tunnel up to 100 feet in a day, searching for earthworms, grubs, and other insects to make into his dinner.

Those tunnels can cause portions of your lawn to collapse and give you a perfect place for twisting or breaking an ankle.

Moles will occasionally break through to the surface of your lawn, leaving behind a mound of dirt with a hole in the center that looks like a mini volcano.

Voles 

In many ways, voles are a much bigger danger to your landscaping, though both moles and voles are pests. Unlike moles which eat insects, voles eat vegetation, roots, bark and whatever else you might have planted in your yard that looks tasty.

Voles are smaller than moles, usually only about five inches long. You can also see their ears and eyes. But more importantly, they live in colonies.

Worse yet, they have a reproduction cycle of less than one month — about 21 days from knocked up to having babies — and they can have several litters of babies in a year. One pair of voles might create 30 in a year’s time.

In their incessant eating, they will strip the bark off trees, eat the deep roots of your plants and basically destroy your landscaping.

Extermination

Call a professional, especially if you think you might be dealing with voles. Humane traps for trap and release are available, but do you really want to inflict these little buggers on someone else?

Less humane traps kill the animals in a manner similar to a mousetrap, usually places in the tunnels. Poison can be used, but it might present a problem for pets or even other wildlife.

After all, use an anticoagulant poison on a vole and the bird that eats the vole gets poisoned too.

Poisons can also be problematic as some of them may wash away with rain or when you water the lawn, contaminating the local groundwater.

Instead, call professional exterminators who can evaluate the problem and come up with a solution that doesn’t endanger your family or your pets and doesn’t leave you hauling off dead voles.

Best way to get rid of mice

Mice are taboo in some cultures like most East and southern African tribes but in south East Asia they are considered a delicacy. So when it comes to mice they are generally considered creatures to be gotten rid of either as food or as pests. In the United States, like most countries, they are considered a pest and dangerous one at that because they carry disease.

Mice are sneaky creatures that are adept at hiding and using the cover of darkness and shadows to keep away from human radar. That is why it can be quite challenging to find them even when you can see their presence in your home.  But here are the best ways to get rid of mice from your space.

Seal entry points

This is both a preventive and control measure. Sealing off the entry points makes it hard for the creatures to infiltrate your space in the first place. Rodent proofing your house eliminates the chances of encountering this problem so seal off cracks in the foundation as well as in the walls. A mouse can squeeze in through extremely tight spaces as small as the width of a pencil. Use caulk and not rubber, plastic or wood since mice can gnaw right through this materials. Also, use weather stripping for the door and windows.

Invest in mouse traps

A mouse infestation needs a more aggressive approach hence the use of mouse traps. If you prefer to use humane mouse traps you can invest in traps that hold the mouse inside the confinement without causing it pain. The alternative is using a trap that uses glue and holds the mouse in place until it dies. Use baits laced with poison but be careful not to use toxic material that can contaminate the rest of the house. You can also use multiple capture traps or glue traps. Lay many different types of traps so that if the mouse evades one they can definitely be nabbed by the next one.

Use bait stations

These are sealed an packed mice baits that are contained in plastic or paper wrapping. The material can be breached by the gnawing of the mouse so when the mouse gnaws through the wrapping and eats the bait they die. Remember that the bait is usually laced and poisonous so take precautions when handling. Better yet, let the professionals handle this particular aspect of eliminating mice.

Cleanliness

While cleaning is not going to get rid of mice if they are already in, it is certainly a measure to prevent them from entering your space in the first place. Secure your garbage and wipe your floors and counters clean. Store food in jars and refrigerate leftovers.