Mice are a property owners worst nightmare, entering through the smallest of gaps, breeding rapidly, and causing a whole load of chaos along the way.
House mice are one of the most common pest species in the UK, and have been spreading disease causing pathogens, destroying property, and generally causing havoc in homes and businesses for centuries.
If you have spotted one of these rodent rascals scuttling in or around your property, fast action is needed, and you have come to the right place.
Pest Solutions are one of the UK’s leading pest control companies and mice are one of the most common species we deal with every single day. We are here to help you get rid of mice once and for all with this ultimate guide on the best ways to deal with a mouse infestation.
How to get rid of mice in your house
- Seal Entry Points
- Cover Air Vents
- Keep your garden clean and tidy
- Store food correctly in sealed containers
- Maintain proper sanitation
- Call a professional BPCA accredited pest control company
There are several simple steps that every property owner should take that will significantly reduce the risk of a mouse infestation.
Once mice are already nesting inside your property an integrated pest management will be required to remove them, but if you act early enough, you may be able to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.
To do this, you should limit the availability of the things that attract mice to human inhabited buildings in the first place, and make it more difficult for mice to enter the property undetected.
NOTE: If you believe mice have already found their way inside your property, natural deterrents will do little to tackle the problem and professional pest control is the only responsible way to regain control.
Our top tips for preventing mouse activity are:
Install bristle strips on doors
Bristle strips are small attachments that can be installed on the bottom of your exterior doors to prevent mice from squeezing their way underneath. On older style properties, there are often gaps beneath doors that small mammals can penetrate and these strips are a simple way to get rid of this threat and eliminate one of the most popular mouse entry points.
Fill holes with steel wool to limit entry point options
Mice will chew their way through most materials, but steel wool and caulking will provide a stern test. Check the exterior of your property for any holes or cracks and seal them where appropriate. Old pipework if another favourite of mice so pop down the hardware store and pick up some steel wool to fill them in the next time you get a chance.
Cover air vents
No, we aren’t suggesting you block off your home’s ventilation! However, a thing wise mesh is a great idea to stop mice in their tracks whilst still allowing fresh air to circulate throughout the property.
Mice are small and only need a tiny gap to squeeze through, so sealing your home completely can be a challenge but this will at least remove one of the more obvious entry points.
Tidy up the garden
Your garden is just as attractive as your home itself to mice, and once they are living just metres away outside the property, it won’t be long until they make their move.
Keeping trees, plants, and shrubbery well trimmed and well away from your property will reduce the number of hiding spots for mice as well as stopping other rodents such as squirrels from using branches as a bridge to the roof of your home. Regular lawn mowing will also reduce the number of available nesting sites and make it easier to spot the early signs of a mouse infestation.
Store Food Properly
Mice are a big fan of human foods, especially cereals and grain based goodies and it is often the easy availability of such food that attracts them in the first place.
Make sure to store any open food in a secure plastic container with a sealed lid and clean away crumbs, dirty dishes and empty packaging as quickly as you can. You should also make sure your exterior bins have a secure lid and cannot easily blow open or tip over.
What about home remedies to keep mice at bay?
A quick Google search will reveal a myriad of DIY websites offering advice on how to get rid of mice using natural deterrents such as peppermint oil, cotton balls, and essential oils.
Whilst it is certainly true that house mice, field mice, and other rodents do have an acute sense of smell, and may dislike the scent of certain natural plants and oils, this is certainly not an alternative to professional pest control and will do nothing at all to remove an existing pest infestation.
Feel free to soak some cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them around the corners of your home. It may put off pests considering trying to gain access and will give your home a pleasant aroma, but if you are expecting your pest problems to disappear you are in for disappointment.
Mice breed incredibly quickly and the longer you delay calling a professional the worse your problems will get and the more significant the damage caused by mice will be.
Common Signs of Mice Activity
If you have spotted any of the following signs, you might be dealing with a mouse infestation and need help to get rid of rodents.
Gnaw marks
Mice will chew on anything and everything once inside your home and property can be seriously damaged by mice if you don’t act quickly.
Look out for small teeth marks on furniture legs, cupboards, skirting boards, and other areas around the home.
Mice Droppings
Usually black and around the same size and shape as a grain of rice, mice can leave as many as 80 droppings in a single day. Droppings are a sure sign that mice are in your home and common places to find them include around the kitchen sink, in cupboards, near the boiler or in your attic space. When fresh, droppings are soft and moist to the touch.
Scratching sounds
Scratching sounds coming from your walls, attic space, or floorboards, especially during the night, could be an indication of mouse or other rodent activity as these are all common areas of mice to hide and mice are naturally more active during the night-time.
Physical sightings of Mice
If you have physically seen mice in the house on multiple occasions during the day, this is a pretty clear sign you need pest control services to help you get rid of them as the infestation is likely to already be pretty significant.
Strange Pet Activity
Dogs and cats have an exceptional sense of smell and whilst humans might not be able to smell a mouse infestation for some time after it was first established, your pets will be.
If you see your furry friends sniffing around skirting boards, cupboards, or otherwise acting unusually, they may have picked up the scent of a rodent in the nearby area.
Seen signs of a mouse in your house or around your home? Mice leave plenty of traces when you know where to look, but being able to deter mice and control mice is a whole other matter.
By far the most effective way to scare mice away and KEEP them away is using a professional services of a pest controller from Pest Solutions, so give us a call today and start your short journey to permanent mouse removal.
DIY methods to get rid of a rat or mouse infestation
There are plenty of DIY options out there when it comes to getting rid of mice from your home including snap traps, bait stations, rodenticides, and natural home remedies.
Unfortunately, without training and a carefully planned strategy, these alone will do little to tackle a large mouse population. You might kill mice and rats using these methods, but you are very unlikely to be able to eradicate a large infestation and as they breed rapidly, the longer you leave it the worse the problem is going to get.
If you have already seen mice inside your home, the chances are there is an established population as mice are nocturnal and will avoid humans whenever possible.
The fastest way to get rid of rats or mice, and by far the most responsible option, is using a professional pest control company.
Professional Pest Control Services are the best way to get rid of mice in your home
The best method to remove mice from any property is ALWAYS with a tailored pest management plan from a BPCA accredited pest control company. Mice are a serious threat to your home or business and it is vital to find the fasted way to get rid of them before the population grows and more serious damage is done.
Pest Solutions deal with rat and mouse problems on a daily basis in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and across Scotland and the North of England and our team of pest controllers know exactly what mice like, how to lure mice, how to catch mice, and how to find the most effective way to keep mice away once control has been achieved.
Case Study – A rise of Mouse Problems in Edinburgh
At Pest Solutions, we operate across the whole of Scotland and Northern England, but have been serving Edinburgh for many years now, with a local office on Morrison Street, just down from Haymarket station and the Royal Mile.
One of our BPCA trained pest control professionals shares their views and observations of mice activity across the city in recent times.
“Over the years working at Pest Solutions Edinburgh, I have noticed a significant increase in the number of mouse, rat and other rodent jobs in Edinburgh, and with a rise in littering, rodent resistance to pesticides, and a lack of education on best practice, how to get rid of rats is a question I hear more and more often.”
At Pest Solutions, we have a superb track record with businesses and homeowners across Scotland’s capital, and are always looking for ways to collaborate with Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, and other policy makers/educational bodies to achieve more widespread control.
Get Rid of Mice Now with Pest Solutions
If you have seen the tell tale signs of mouse activity in your property, call Pest Solutions today on 0800 027 2555.
Mice in your home is a serious health hazard and the best way to get rid of mice and keep them away from your home for good is using the services of a professional pest control company like Pest Solutions. Mice may fall for your DIY tricks, but trapping a few mice with some poison or snap traps laden with bait like peanut butter is one thing, but keeping them at bay is a whole other matter.
We don’t just place traps and call it a day, we create a bespoke pest management strategy using the latest in pest control technology to eliminate the entire infestation once and for all.
Our pest control technicians are full BPCA trained and accredited and deal with mouse problems every single day, making them the perfect choice for anyone wondering how to get rid of mice and looking for a fast resolution to their rodent woes.
To learn more about how to get rid of mice or to arrange a free quote from an expert pest control technician, get in touch with Pest Solutions now.
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