Many of us use our attics as a storage space that we only access when we need something. Unfortunately, leaving these spaces undisturbed for long periods of time means mice are more likely to make their homes there. A mouse infestation can cause problems for you and your family.
The gestation period for female mice is approximately 20 days, and they can mate immediately after giving birth. This means mice can multiply rapidly, making them very difficult to catch and remove.
Mice can present a danger to your home and those who live there. They are known for harboring disease-spreading parasites such as mites, fleas, and ticks. Mouse droppings also spread diseases such as Hantavirus. Mice can also damage your belongings and your house structure, leading to downgraded property value or even electrical fires, so it is important to know how to get mice rid of the mice in your attic.
Why Do Mice Nest in Attics?
Attics are usually uninhabited. Since most people use attics for storage, they are quiet and undisturbed. This atmosphere is perfect for mice, as there are no predators or obvious danger to them or their families.
Additionally, attics are warm. Since heat rises, the attic easily becomes one of the warmest places available in your home. This warmth provides mice with the perfect climate to thrive, as it will protect them from the elements even in winter.
An attic also provides many hiding places. If you’re like most people and keep boxes or unused belongings in the attic, you might have a very cluttered space up there. Clutter creates lots of hiding places for mice, making them feel safe.
Messy spaces also provide plenty of options for mice to build nests, as they prefer constructing them in sheltered areas. Mice are not picky about their food, and attics supply a variety of options for their meals, from the insulation and wiring in the walls to the clothes and paper goods that may be stored in boxes.
Tips to Get Rid of Mice in Your Attic
Below are some common tips for preventing and removing a mouse infestation.
Tip 1: Know if Mice are In Your Attic
Mice are generally more active at night, and they don’t always stay in attic spaces. If you hear scurrying, rustling, thumping or squeaking in your ceiling or walls, you likely have a mice infestation.
Unwanted inhabitants will disturb things in your attic. Evidence includes bite marks, as well as droppings or urine stains. Mouse droppings can sometimes be mistaken for seeds, so be sure to know the difference and examine all areas of your attic carefully.
Gaps in your walls or ceilings, as well as cracks around windows or holes in your insulation, could signal entry points for mice or other rodents. A mouse might try to widen a small gap to more easily enter your home, so if you have damaged roof shingles, it could be an indication of rodent infestation.
Tip 2: Remove and Change Insulation
Mice like to burrow inside insulation because it’s warm and keeps them from being discovered. If you change your insulation, they will have to find a different place to nest. Replacing insulation also removes any waste or droppings that were left behind from the previous infestation.
Tip 3: Trim Vegetation Near Your Home
Mice can run up shrubs or trees to find a way into your house. If you have a tree with limbs that reach up to your eaves, consider trimming the branches so mice can’t use them to get to your roof.
Tip 4: Practice Proper Sanitation
If you keep a clean house, it’s less likely that mice will want to move in. Crumbs and spills can attract mice because it gives them a ready food supply. If they can constantly smell food in your home, they will assume there is always food nearby.
Tip 5: Secure Food Storage and Food Packages
Mice are attracted to food smells. If you have open food containers or use your attic as a pantry, mice will want to take up residence there. Keeping your food stored in air-tight containers will prevent mice from smelling the food.
Tip 6: Rodent Proofing (Finding and Sealing All Possible Entryways)
Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as 6-7 millimeters, which is the same size as an average pen. It’s best to block up all cracks and crevices, no matter how small, to keep mice out.
First, ensure that all windows and doors are tight-fitting so there are no gaps. Then, search for potential entry points in corners and where the roof meets the wall or where the wall meets the floor. Include gaps in vents and insulation in your search.
Caulking or steel wool can seal gaps smaller than an inch. Flat metal, concrete mortar, or hardware cloth should be used to close larger spaces.
Tip 7: Clean and Declutter the Attic
Removing items in your attic that mice like to nest in prevents habitation. Cleaning will also dispose of any items that a mouse might have destroyed through chewing or shredding. Decluttering removes potential hiding places and will make your attic a less welcoming place for mice.
Tip 8: Dispose of Your Garbage Regularly
Garbage attracts animals to people’s homes, especially rodents or scavengers searching for an easy meal. If you let your garbage pile up, it becomes a feast for mice and gives them more incentive to move in. If you dispose of your garage regularly, you remove food sources and give them fewer reasons to stay.
Tip 9: Trap Them
There are many traps available for rodent infestation. Some are humane, while others aren’t. If you use rat or mouse poison in your traps, be warned that it will harm your pets or children if they come into contact with it.
Be sure to set your mousetrap in a high-activity area and make it enticing with bait such as peanut butter. Though cheese is the stereotypical food for a mousetrap, it will more likely go rancid before it attracts a mouse.
Tip 10: Seek Professional Pest Control
The safest and most effective way to get rid of mice in your attic is to get the help of a licensed professional. You can call Stampede Pest Control to ensure your home is free of the infestation once and for all.
Benefits of Removing Mice From Your Home
Mice will chew on anything, from keepsakes to electrical wires. If mice chew your wires, the casing will wear away and expose the bare wires. Exposed wires can start fires in your home, which is extremely dangerous.
Mice droppings can also cause health problems for you and your family. Not only can mice transfer bugs and pests like ticks, fleas, or mites, but their droppings and urine release air-borne pathogens that can be incredibly harmful if inhaled.
Health risks include Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a sometimes fatal respiratory disease that is caused by breathing in hantavirus pathogens in mouse droppings.
Have a Mice-Free Attic Today!
Mice can easily slip into your attic through the tiniest of gaps. Once they take up residence, they can damage your valuables and create a dangerous environment in your home. Preventative measures to deter mice include keeping a clean home, trimming vegetation away from your house, rodent-proofing your home, and decluttering your attic.
However, even with all these measures, there’s no guarantee that it will prevent mice infestation or get rid of them.
Stampede Pest Control offers residential and commercial mice control and removal, so you don’t have to struggle to get rid of your mice. Call now for a free quote!