The tiny, pellet-shaped droppings are the first clue. Then maybe you hear a faint rustling in the night. A mouse has entered your house looking for food and warmth as the chilly air of fall takes hold.
Where there’s one, there’s bound to be more.
Before the Roanoke temperatures dip toward freezing, here are a few simple things you can do to help mouse-proof your home.
Seal Up Openings
Mice are slinky rodents that can easily squeeze through a hole as small as a dime, so carefully inspect your home, garage and outbuildings for any spaces or cracks that could offer a mouse a way inside.
Use caulk or spray foam to seal cracks. Stuff steel wool into small holes and seal with caulk. Mesh screens, hardware cloth or other sturdy material can block access to larger holes and gaps.
Pay careful attention to potential spaces around pipes and utility cables, and make sure doors, windows and garage doors have weatherstripping and screens that are in good repair.
Store Food Securely
Your goal is to eliminate any possible food source for a hungry mouse.
In the kitchen and living areas, make sure food is stored in solid containers with tight-fitting lids and don’t let crumbs or dirty dishes pile up.
The same goes for pet food and bird seed.
Outside, clean up your outdoor grill or other cooking areas.
Keep your trash in heavy-duty plastic bags stored in sturdy trash bins – inspect those for holes in the sides and bottom, too – and make sure the lids clamp down securely. You may want to wash the bins inside and out with soap and water to remove any lingering residue.
Eliminate Potential Nesting Areas
A mouse nesting just outside your home easily could be tempted to come inside when winter arrives in Roanoke.
Discourage this by trimming back back shrubs, flowers and other vegetation that would offer a cozy place to nest around your home. Clean up any yard clutter and remove any trash that’s accumulated from summer activities.
Firewood is especially appealing to mice and other rodents and insects. Keep woodpiles as far away from your home as possible and use a platform to raise the logs a foot or so off the ground.
Contact Bug Man for Help
With a little attention to detail now, you can prevent mice from seeing your home as an attractive place to spend the winter.
If you do see or suspect mouse activity inside and you need rodent control, your local Roanoke exterminator can help. Bug Man Exterminating has the pest control, identification, and extermination expertise to help with any mouse problem, large or small. Contact us today.