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Mice are Moving in for the Winter

With the cold weather now here in full force, mice are looking for ways into your house for warmth and food. It's not rocket science to help items like grass seed, bird seed and other items that mice would find delicious off the ground and hard for them to get at. Have a look at the doors and make sure they close tightly, as a general rule if you can see daylight around the door it probably isn't closing tightly enough to be rodent proof. Check to ensure pipes leading from the garage into the house, such as vacuum pipes and water pipes are tightly sealed so mice can't gain access around them into the house. ensure you do not have to deal with them. Most of the time infestations will start in the garage, let me rephrase that and say over 90% of the time infestations will start in the garage. To be proactive in making sure mice don't get a foot hold in the garage try to keep it clean and organized. Make sure trash is kept in a can with a lid and recycling is up off the floor. Try to use shelving and sealable containers to keep

Once everything in the garage looks good go outside and inspect around the exterior of the house. Check where the air conditioner lines enter is that pipe sealed tightly or can some steel wool be used to make it tighter. What about the outside water tap line, make sure it's sealed tightly. Watch for plants that may grow against the house giving the mice hiding spots, can they be trimmed up to make it more uncomfortable for the mice so they won't live close to the house. Dog food stored outside or in the garage should always be in a well sealed sturdy container and if you are feeding birds make sure the feeders are well away from the building as mice will also be using this as a possible food source.
Once the mouse gains access into the house it's only a matter of time before they migrate from the garage to the basement or attic then into the kitchen. There are a number of things you can do to help slow them down. Seal up where the pipes go into the cupboards under the sinks, set snap traps (peanut butter is a good bait or even a cotton ball with a drop of vanilla will work), and be careful if you are cleaning up any droppings. Always disinfest prior to cleaning up the droppings and wash your hands once your done. As a general rule of thumb, if you catch me than 4 or 5 mice in snap traps you may want to give Barrier Pest Control a call to talk about the problem as it may require the use of poisons and a professional.