Dealing with kitchen mice or any other type of mice is never a pleasant activity, is it? And yet, it’s a surprisingly common concern for homeowners all across the United States. If that’s also a problem for you, it might be a good idea to start looking into it, and the first step is figuring out what is attracting the rodents into your property, in the first place.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common attraction points for mice, and what you can do to eliminate them, or at the very least, minimize them.
First, educate yourself.
Yes, you need to know what’s attracting the mice, and this article aims to help you with that. But you also need to learn more about rodents, things like prevention, possible diseases carried, and so on. This is why you should take some time to read about these things. Websites like mousecontrol.org offer a hoard of information on the matter that may prove useful to all homeowners, invaded or otherwise!
Moving on to the attraction points themselves…
What elements exactly are bringing mice to your house?
Like pretty much any other wild animal, mice are attracted to human homes for two reasons: food and shelter. The first thing you need to understand is that mice have a very broad and general understanding of food. They’re not just looking for cheese, as popular cartoons would have you believe, but rather anything that might prove edible. Some common foods that have been known to attract mice include:
- Meat;
- Fruits, berries, etc.;
- Nuts and seeds;
- Grains;
- Pet food;
- Leftovers and trash.
So pretty much, anything you’ve got edible in your home, it’s quite likely that a mouse will come by and try to eat it. This is why you have to take really good care with the way you package and store your food. Experts recommend that you don’t keep food out in the open, otherwise, you’re practically inviting the rodents in. Similarly, you’ll want to pack up your food in airtight containers that will make food difficult to get to. While mice are hungry, they’re small and they know it, so if they see you haven’t got any readily available source of food, they’re quite likely to move on.
Keep in mind that mice are also looking for water, so leaky pipes, pet bowls, and other sources may increase your chances of attracting rodents.
Lastly, make sure you clean your home regularly and avoid leaving dirty plates out for long. Scraps and crumbs that might not seem like much trouble to the eye can be a valuable meal for a mouse, so vacuum up, and try not to spill!
That brings us to the other reason why mice are flocking to your home – shelter. Generally, mice will be attracted by warmth, which isn’t something you can really remove. However, you can make it difficult for them to get to it. Usually, this involves inspecting your property regularly, looking for cracks, holes, and other possible entry points, and fixing them as quickly as possible. The harder it is for a mouse to get in, the more likely it is to give up.
Have a professional inspect your home.
Often, it’s a great idea to call a professional and have them inspect your home preemptively. That way, they can catch any issues before they become full-blown problems, and advise you on how to keep rats and mice away from your home. If you’re interested, you can find professional wildlife removal services at easttnwildlifemanagement.com, so make sure to check it out!