Scampering and scratching sounds in the walls of your home at night, signs of gnawing or chewing, or damaged food packages can mean you have an infestation of mice or rats. Other signs include droppings and urine, burrows or holes in and around foundation walls, or tracks on dusty surfaces. While mice may seem like cute, innocent creatures, they carry disease and can cause a lot of damage to a home. The best way to get rid of mice or handle a mouse infestation is to tackle the problem right away to avoid a severe infestation. If you’re wondering how to get rid of mice in your home, give us a call.
 

MOUSE INFORMATION & FACTS

Mice are well known as being a general pest across North America. In Canada, the most common mice pests are the house mouse (Mus musculus) and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Mice are nocturnal, eat multiple times a day and are omnivorous. They eat food nuts, seeds, fruits and insects. They reproduce quickly as baby mice mature to adults at accelerated speed. Mice are a concern because they are carriers of disease, and can damage property. The deer mouse is the most common carrier of the deadly Hantavirus. While most mice species prefer forested areas, they often take refuge and invade building, homes, warehouses, factories, barns and even dog houses. They often invade buildings near fields and woodlands in the Fall. When they do invade homes and buildings, food contamination and property damage are often caused by their foraging, burrowing, chewing and biting tendencies. Mice will consume human food (prepared or waste) and often chew through plastics, books and drywall. Mouse droppings and urine pose serious health threats to humans as they contaminate the surfaces in living areas they come in contact with. Scampering and scratching sounds in the walls of your home at night, signs of gnawing or chewing, or damaged food packages can mean you have an infestation of mice or rats. Other signs include droppings and urine, burrows or holes in and around foundation walls, or tracks on dusty surfaces. If you have mice, it's best tackle the problem right away to avoid a severe mouse infestation. Learn more about how to get rid of mice

TYPES OF MICE

  • DEER MOUSE

  • HOUSE MOUSE


DEER MOUSE

The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is a common rodent here in British Columbia, and across Canada. Deer mice (also called ‘field mice’) are nocturnal outdoor pests in rural areas, especially fields, grasslands or densely wooded areas where they can eat small insects, worms, fungi, fruit, nuts and seeds. Deer mice are typically small rodents, but can range in length from 8 cm to 17 cm. They have large ears, huge eyes and soft tawny brown (like deer) or grey fur. Unlike the house mouse, they have a white belly and tail bottom, and white colouring on their feet. Their tail is typically the length of their body. Like other rodents, they need to constantly chew and gnaw to maintain their teeth. While preferring to live outside in underbrush, tree cavities, shrubs, tall grasses and crevices in rocks, they do at times invade nearby homes, garages, sheds, barns, warehouses and factories. This commonly occurs in the fall when colder weather moves in, and they are searching for warm shelter, food and water. Once indoors, the deer mouse seeks refuge in basements, attics and crawl spaces where human activity is minimal. They will eat what humans do, including discarded food waste, and they create food reserves in holes close to their nesting areas. Deer mice are a major concern to humans. They cause damage to property through biting, chewing, foraging and burrowing. They can and will chew through vinyl, wiring, insulation, drywall, plastic and books. Deer mice are one of the main carriers of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a respiratory disease, which is dangerous to humans. This disease is spread to humans through encountering their urine, droppings or from direct contact with live or dead deer mice. Deer mice can also transmit to humans Salmonellosis, a bacterial disease which affects the intestinal tract. Salmonellosis bacteria is common in deer mouse droppings. It is passed on to humans through contaminated food that contains infected deer mouse droppings. Deer mice populations grow rapidly which can quickly lead to a deer mouse infestation. Active breeding occurs from March to October resulting in female deer mice birthing 2 to 4 litters a year. Litter sizes vary, ranging from 5 to 12 babies. Within 2 months post birth, deer mice are capable of breeding. The average lifespan of deer mice is 1 year; however, they can live longer if they are able to survive winter months when food is scarce and environmental conditions are harsh. Learn the common signs of a deer mouse infestation and how to get rid of mice.  

HOUSE MOUSE INFORMATION & FACTS

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is one of the most common species of mice here in British Columbia. They are found wherever people reside and eat whatever people eat or discard. These nocturnal rodents are excellent climbers, swimmers, jumpers and runners. They can squeeze through holes in walls, foundations and floors as small as a dime or quarter. House mice can survive living outdoors and in cold weather, however they prefer living inside where there is warm protective shelter and ample water, and food to nibble. Unlike deer mice, who tend to remain outdoors and only invade in the fall, these pests will invade and infest homes or business all throughout the year. The average house mouse is slender, 10 cm in length, with large ears, pink-buff coloured feet and a tail twice the length of its body. It’s fur is solid dark grey to light brown (and sometimes black), with lighter colouring on their underside. Their incisor teeth constantly grow over their full lifespan, so they need to continually chew to maintain their teeth. The average house mouse lifespan is around 1 year. Females can produce litters of 5 to 6 babies up to 8 times per year. Babies are born typically 3 weeks post breeding and will reach breeding maturity at 3 months. The house mouse is often portrayed as the adorable little mouse that peeks out of a perfectly shaped hole in a floorboard, looking for the opportune time to scurry out in search for some cheese to nibble on. These mice are often witty and enjoy taunting and teasing the family cat. The reality is that the house mouse poses a serious health and safety concern:

  • They cause unsanitary conditions by contaminating surfaces and stored food products (like cereal, seeds and sweet liquids) that they come in contact with.

  • They spread disease.

  • They cause serious damage to personal belongings and structural damage to homes or buildings with their constant chewing. The house mouse can chew through many materials including paper, cardboard, drywall, wood, plastic and vinyl. The house mouse has a reputation for chewing on electrical cords, which can cause wires to short circuit, resulting in fire.

  • Their populations can grow quickly causing a rapid and out of control infestation.

Learn how to tell if you have a mouse infestation and how to get rid of mice.  

GETTING RID OF MICE

Mice are never welcome guests in homes or businesses. They can spread diseases such as hantavirus, salmonella and listeria through their urine, droppings, saliva and nesting materials. People often discover that they have these house mice or deer mice in their homes or business upon hearing scurrying noises at night or finding rice grain-shaped droppings. Common signs of a mouse infestation include:

  • Hearing scratching and scampering sounds at night.

  • Uncovering messes caused by gnawing or chewing, or discovering these types of marks.

  • Finding damaged stored food packages.

  • Sighting live or dead mice.

  • Uncovering their nests.

  • Discovering urine or droppings.

  • Finding burrows or holes in your walls.

  • Coming across mouse feet tracks on dusty surfaces.

Mice can also cause extensive damage to a home or structure:

  • Since mice breed year-round, populations can grow rapidly increasing the amout of damage. Sizes of litters and number of babies per litter vary by species, ranging from 5 to 10 litters per year and 5 to 12 babies per litter.

  • Mice love chewing on wiring to keep their teeth short and to gain access to places that the wires may be blocking, which has the potential to cause electrical fires.

  • Mice can chew through soft concrete, wood, drywall rubber, plastic pipes, insulation, aluminum and even gas lines, leaving you with expensive and potentially dangerous repairs.

Having a mouse infestation is unsettling but it’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. We’ve outlined the best ways for how you can help prevent mice from getting indoors and how to get rid of mice if they have infested your home or business.

Make your home or business less appealing to rodents

  • Remove nesting and harborage sites around your structure.

  • Cut tall grass and weeds back from your home or buildings.

  • Secure garbage, recycling and compost containers with tight-fitting lids.

  • Raise woodpiles about 30 centimeters (1 foot) off the ground. Place them away from the house or building entrances.

  • Never place fatty or oily food waste, eggs or milk products in the compost.

  • Use a layer of heavy metal mesh between the soil and the bottom of the compost.

  • Eliminate water sources like leaky taps, sweating pipes and open drains.

  • Keep kitchen or food prep areas clean and store dry food and dry pet food in metal or glass containers.



How To Get Rid Of Mice

The best way to get rid of mice is to prevent them from getting indoors to begin with. Mice can enter a home through cracks in the exterior, gaps in the windows, roof, utility lines and they are also attracted by food left out in the open.

How To Get Rid Of Mice In The House

Getting rid of mice is a task that can leave you feeling stressed, frustrated and overwhelmed, but we can help with that. Here are some tips for how to get rid of mice:

  • Use metal weather stripping under doors and weather strip windows. Mice can squeeze through cracks as small as a dime or quarter. Even the small gaps created by worn thresholds under doors will allow mice access to your home or business.

  • Keep doors closed, and caulk around doors and windows to prevent entry.

  • Keep an eye out for siding and foundation gaps, roof and soffit gaps and roof and fascia gaps. Fix as needed to prevent mice from gaining entry.

  • Check your roof and roof vents for holes or other damage, and fix as needed.

  • Regularly inspect exterior walls for gaps or holes.

  • Stuff copper around pipes before caulking or plastering.

  • Cover dryer vents, attic vents or soffits with fine mesh metal screening.

  • Remove nesting and harbourage sites around your home.

  • Regularly cut your grass and dispose of yard waste.

  • Raise woodpiles about 30 centimeters (1 foot) off the ground and place them away from the house.

  • Secure garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids.

  • Never place fatty or oily food waste, eggs or milk products in the compost.

  • Use a layer of heavy metal mesh between the soil and the bottom of the compost.

  • Eliminate water sources like leaky taps, sweating pipes and open drains.

  • Keep the kitchen clean and store dry food and dry pet food in metal or glass containers.

  • Store non-perishable items in airtight, secured plastic totes.



How To Get Rid Of Mice In The Walls

Mice often live in small spaces in homes, such as crawlspaces and walls. When these pests live in your walls, they hardly make themselves inconspicuous, as you typically hear the unsettling scratching sound of mice at night. Here are some tips for how to get rid of mice in walls:

  • Before attempting extermination methods, ensure that mice are indeed the pest residing in your walls, as different pests may require different extermination methods. Droppings and tracks are common in houses experiencing infestations. Check for holes in walls, floors, foundation and ceilings.

  • Mice commonly emerge to find food, so place traps where you find holes in the wall, or you can lure mice out with food bait.

  • To be effective, traps must be placed in areas frequented by mice.



How To Get Rid Of Mice In The Attic

Rustling and scurrying sounds in the attic is the last thing you want to hear. Much like hearing mice in your walls, it is important to determine whether it is mice that are inhabiting your attic or if it’s another pest. Finding a dead mouse in your attic is usually indicative of there being more than one around. Here are some tips for detecting mice activity in the attic:

  • Usually attics tend to be a little dusty. Check for mice footprints.

  • Check for rice grain shaped droppings along baseboards or in corners.

  • If mice are in your attic, there may be a pungent smell similar to ammonia.

If you have mice in attic:

  • Examine your house for gaps or cracks in the exterior where mice are able to enter your home and block off any entry points with steel wool. Ensure you do this step properly. If you do not, more mice may find their way inside.

  • Trap and kill any remaining mice that may be in your attic. You can live trap mice if you’d prefer to release them into the wild.

If you are unable to eliminate the mice from your home or business or would like the expertise of a licensed professional, give us a call. We can help you get rid of mice.