Prevention – Prevention – Prevention
Tips For
Controlling Mice
By Conrad Mueller
Calgary and surrounding areas have experienced an influx of mice over the last few years. The reason for this is the mild winters and hot dry summers we have enjoyed. This is promoting a vigorous mouse population. As it finally gets a little colder, the mice are moving in with us. If you have not noticed any evidence in your house or building yet, here is what you can do to ensure they stay out.
The best way to avoid invasions of mice is to
(1) provide as little
harborage as possible that might attract rodents, and
(2) seal as many
holes and cracks in the outside of your building through which mice may
enter.
The following recommendations should be followed to help prevent rodents from seeking shelter in your building:
- Keep firewood stored as far from the building as possible and store it off the ground. During the winter, store only enough wood next to the building to burn every couple of days.
- If possible, remove any piles of debris, stones, bricks, etc. If these are near the foundation of the home they serve as harborages to attract rodents. Once there, it is an easy step for rodents to enter the building itself.
- Prune shrubbery and keep grass short. Bushes and shrubs should be thinned until the ground is visible underneath. Low lying shrubs, accumulated leaves and excessive mulch can support a rodent population dangerously close to doors, windows and other ports of entry. All bushes should be trimmed away from buildings. This will prevent mice from gaining access from them to patios or balconies, or even windows. Ideally, a vegetation-free area should be maintained around the foundation.
- Do not allow piles of leaves to accumulate next to the building’s foundation. Leaves and long grass along the foundation serve as an attractive harborage for rodents - mice in particular.
- Seal any hole or crack larger than 1/4 of an inch. A good rule of thumb is that if a pencil can fit into it, a mouse could too. Large holes or cracks should be stuffed with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk or foam, otherwise rodents could chew through and gain entry.
- Install a thick weather stripping on the bottom of all doors. The garage door may prove difficult to seal completely, so the door from the garage to the house must be sealed tightly. The installation of one or two wind-up mouse traps or poison bait stations in the garage can control the mice as they enter.
- If you feed your dog on the patio, do not leave the dog food out all day. Once feeding is over, remove the bowl and clean up any spills. A constant supply of dog food on the deck will support great numbers of mice under the deck, and they will eventually move into the house.
- If you have a bird feeder in the yard install a catch tray for birdseed spills, or clean the area underneath the feeder on a regular basis.
Remember: You can make rodent control work by reducing the food, water, and shelter that rodents need to thrive - and that's an important tip for every season of the year!
Conrad Mueller is the owner of Absolute Pest Control
and he
can be contacted at 238-7400.
