Streator's Complete Guide To Effective Mouse Prevention And Control

Five Simple Yet Effective Mouse Prevention Tips For Around The House

Pest control treatments are only the tip of the iceberg. If you do not address the factors that have led mice to invade, preventing infestations from returning will be much more challenging. Fortunately, the following five simple yet effective tips can significantly help prevent rodents from settling on your property:

1. Make it difficult for mice to get into your food: Mice need food to survive. While they would likely prefer to feast on insects, fruits, and seeds while enjoying temperate weather year-round, they will not hesitate to invade heated homes where food is plentiful. Mice prefer carbohydrates like bread, flour, chocolate, and baked goods. However, they will also go for high-fat foods like peanut butter. To prevent mice from invading your pantry, transferring foods to sturdy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids can be helpful. You will also want to store leftovers in the fridge or dispose of them as soon as you are done eating. Emptying garbage cans and keeping them cleaned and closed at all times will also help.
2. Seal all convenient access points: As soon as the weather cools, warm and sheltered areas tend to draw mice indoors. They are much more likely to invade homes with accessible entry points like damaged roofs, garages with gaps under the door, and cracks in walls and foundations. A pest control company can examine the structure of your house during the initial inspection to find out where mice are coming in and what you can do about it, which can be helpful as some areas can be hard to reach.
3. Fix leaks and dehumidify your home: Many pests, including mice, are attracted to high-humidity homes. This can be due to leaks going unnoticed or needing fixing or the natural humidity in the air. Be sure to fix all damaged pipes, remove sources of stagnant water like blocked storm drains, and ensure that water is not seeping into your foundations. A dehumidifier can help if placed in the humid areas of your house. And, of course, fans in bathrooms can help, especially if you run them after hot and steamy showers and baths.
4. Declutter low-traffic rooms: Mice and rodents, in general, prefer to stay away from human activity, which is why they will often take over low-traffic spaces like attics and basements, as well as rooms that you might not use frequently. These areas are often a source of clutter, and avoiding stacking them full of cardboard boxes, discarded furniture, and more is essential. This will prevent them from taking over and allow you to notice a mouse infestation sooner than you might otherwise.
5. Keep your yard well maintained: Mice thrive outdoors, and a significant mouse population in your yard will make it more likely for them to come inside. Just as keeping your home decluttered is a critical prevention strategy, keeping your yard free of debris, leaf piles, kiddie pools, and more is also best. Trimming bushes and trees and planting them as far from your home's structure as possible can also help. 

It is always a good time for prevention strategies like these. However, they are only sometimes effective enough to keep infestations at bay. In addition to these prevention strategies, scheduling regular inspections between treatments is always a good idea.