Controlling Mice in Homes

As the fields are harvested and the temperature drops, every mouse is eyeing your house, garage or maybe even your car for its winter home. House mice have a long history of living with us. They are native to central Asia and arrived in North America on colonist's ships.

House mice are quite adaptable living in and around homes and farms as well as in pastures and farm fields. They destroy food meant for humans, livestock, or other animals. They cause damage to structures and may transmit diseases such as salmonellosis (food poisoning). Plus they cause that heart attack feeling when you see them scurry across the carpet as you're watching TV.

Although house mice usually feed on cereal grains, they are true nibblers and will taste just about anything. Even though they have poor eyesight, they have keen senses of taste, hearing, smell and touch. House mice are excellent climbers and can run up any rough vertical surface. They can leap tall buildings in a single bound jumping 13 inches from the floor onto a flat surface. They can squeeze through openings slightly larger than one fourth inch in diameter. That's about the size of a pencil.

In a single year a female may have five to ten litters of usually five or six young each. Young are born 19 to 21 days after mating and the young can start having their own babies in six to ten weeks. You do the math. That means a boat full of mice in a short amount of time.

Effective mouse control involves sanitation, mouse proof construction and population reduction. Sanitation involves cleaning up all spilled or unused pet food especially at night. Grains or birdseed should be stored in glass, metal or heavy duty rubber tightly sealed containers.

Mouse proof construction includes sealing any openings larger than one fourth of an inch. Steel wool mixed with caulking compound makes a good plug. Tightly seal cracks in building foundations and openings for water pipes, vents and utilities with metal or concrete. Plastic sheeting, wood or rubber are unsuitable for plugging holes.

Snap traps are the preferred control method in homes, garages and other structures where only a few mice are present. Bait traps with peanut butter, chocolate candy, dried fruit, nuts or gum drops. Despite cartoon information, cheese is not the best bait.

Set traps close to walls and behind objects. Mice tend to follow walls so set traps so the trigger is in their path. Set numerous traps and set a trap no more than 10 feet apart where mice are active. Live traps for mice are also available. Be sure to release them far from any structure.

Poisons are available. Some baits cause death only after the baits are fed upon for several days. Poisoning mice has some real disadvantages. Poisoned mice usually die in wall voids causing odor problems and insect activity. Mice poisons are very toxic to people, pets and other wildlife so they must be used with great caution and only as a last resort.

Sound and electrical devices show little evidence in driving established mice from buildings. Although mice are easily frightened by strange noises, they quickly become accustomed to repeated sounds. Ultrasonic sounds have very limited use in rodent control because they are directional and do not penetrate behind objects.

A good mouser cat or dog is always an option, but seldom gives complete control. It is not uncommon to find mice living under dog houses where they feed on the animal's food when it's asleep or away.