Why are there mice in my house?

Rodents will climb ladders, scale walls, walk across wires and swim through sewers (yes, they can come up through your toilet!) to get inside your home. So, how can you keep them out?

The truth is mice are adaptable and they are relentless in their search for food, warmth and shelter and your home can support all of their basic needs. In the fall and winter, these needs become more acute, hence their desire to get inside. One tell-tale sign of their presence could be the smell of mice, which is often described as musty or ammonia-like.

If you feel that you have a problem with mice around your home, then contact the Ehrlich mouse control specialists who can help you remove the current rodents and prevent a return infestation.

How mice get into your home

There are multiple ways mice can get into your home. They can enter through gaps in your basement and doorways, tiny holes around piping, damaged roofs, air vents, and drain pipes just to name a few. Mice are very agile. They can scale 6.5-foot high walls, squeeze through holes the width of a pencil, and can jump as high as 24cm.
Mice require three main things to thrive: shelter, warmth, and food. Your home provides all these things, as it is essentially what humans need as well. In your home, mice will:

• Search for warmth
• Build a nest
• Search for food

Search for warmth

Once inside, mice will quickly search for an isolated, warm spot in your home. Ideally, they will look for one that is close to a food source, such as your kitchen or dining area. This is why you often find mice nests behind kitchen appliances and at the back of your refrigerator as these areas are hidden and warm.

Find shelter and build nest

Mice can easily find warmth by building a nest inside your cavity walls, under your floorboards, near your hot water tank, or even in your attic. They love to use paper to build their nest. Anything from newspapers and magazines to toilet paper and paper towels will suit their nesting needs.

Search for food

Mice will raid your cupboards at nighttime for a snack. They love cheese, but chocolates and even peanut butter will do. They even have a preference for a certain flavor of potato chips. Mice are able to get their daily water requirement from the food they eat – as long as it contains certain levels of moisture.

Proof your property to prevent mice

An effective way to help prevent mice includes mice proofing your property. Below are some tips to help prevent mice from making your property their home.

Prevention tips

• Doors – Fit brush strips to the bottom of doors to prevent entry, especially in older properties where the door fit may not be snug.
• Eaves – Fix damaged roofing and use wire mesh to seal gaps.
• Food storage – Store food in plastic or metal containers. Regularly clean under stoves, refrigerators and cupboards.
• Holes – These are often made in exterior walls for cables and pipes. Check that any old pipe holes are sealed. Holes that are larger than 5mm will allow mice to gain access as their jaws can fit into tight spaces like these and quickly gnaw larger openings.
• Lawns - Keep grass mowed short to reduce shelter and seeds for food. If possible, leave a gap between the building foundations and the garden.
• Pipes – Seal holes around existing or new pipes with coarse grade steel wire and caulking.
• Vegetation - Trim tree branches back from the house and where possible, avoid plants growing up the sides of your property. Vines, shrubs or overhanging branches can be used for mice to get onto roofs. Overgrown vegetation close to the walls will offer mice shelter and potential nesting sites.
• Vents – Cover vents with fine galvanized wire mesh, especially if they are damaged.

Ehrlich gets rid of mice!

If you are frightened or anxious about the thought of mice on your property, Ehrlich’s professional deterrent methods offer the best and most reliable solution. For an existing mice infestation, we can provide quick, guaranteed service to get rid of mice safely from your home or business.

Years of globally backed knowledge and experience enable our specialists to provide expert advice and mouse control. Our specialists live in the areas they service and know the proper methods and procedures to both control and prevent mice.

Call Ehrlich on 800-837-5520 for more professional solutions on how to deter mice.