Mice and Rodent Control Minneapolis MN
During the winter months, we imagine being snugly locked inside our warm homes while the cold winter winds howl outside. It brings images of warm fires or heated rooms to protect us from the cold. Unfortunately, your home also starts looking mighty fine to mice and rodents this time of year. Pests like mice, rats and squirrels love to break into our toasty warm homes as temperatures drop.
Rodents have been known to damage buildings, contaminate food and transmit diseases to people. They’re diverse; the rodent family includes rats, mice, gophers, voles, beavers and more.
Many people who have a mouse problem/infestation may never actually see a mouse. Mice are nocturnal and most often come out at night when people are sleeping or businesses are closed. If you see a mouse in the daytime, odds are that the infestation is very serious. The most common signs of a mouse/mice problem are the presence of droppings around baseboards, kitchen cabinets, and storage areas. Some people can hear mice gnawing in walls, scampering, or squeaking. Cat and dogs may scratch at a wall hearing or smelling mice within.
Get Rid of Mice: Prevention
Mice are one of the most common and unwanted house guests ever!
To get rid of mice start by making your home as uninviting to them as possible. Before you setup some traps, make sure you understand how to keep mice out.
To get rid of mice means not tempting them into your home. The average mouse only needs a hole a quarter of an inch (1/4″) in diameter to squeeze through. Make sure you seal your door sills, cupboards, walls and any places where mice might come in. Check your foundations for possible entry points. Make sure doors and ground-level windows are sealed correctly. If you find any discrepancies, use putty, caulk or my favorite – steel wool to address the problem before mice get into your home.
Rodent proofing your home can be fairly easy. Rats can fit through a hole roughly the size of a quarter, and a mouse can get through a hole smaller than a dime. Your first line of defense is to block all access and keep them from getting into your home in the first place.
* Replace any damaged or missing weather stripping and seal cracks at exterior doors.
* Place 1/4 inch screen over all external openings and vents.
* Seal any gaps at your foundation.
* Trim back branches and shrubs that come into contact with or hang over your home.
* Keep all ground vegetation trimmed back at least 12 inches from your home.
* Keep the interior of your home and garage clean.
* All food and garbage should be stored in sealed containers
* Do not leave pet food or dirty dishes sitting around over night.
Once in, they chew through nearly everything from walls to food to cardboard boxes to electrical wiring, which may lead to electrical short and fire.
If you don’t see one directly, you can tell you have a problem by the gnawing evidence, or hearing scampering or gnawing sounds in the attic or inside walls. You could also find droppings in undisturbed areas of the house such as pantries, attics, and along baseboards and walls.
Keep Mice and Rodents From Invading Your Home This Winter
Even though some pests are “out of sight, out of mind” for the winter months, there are still many insects, mice and rodents that would be happy to make your Minnesota home theirs.
If you find these telltale signs, seek out a professional pest control expert quickly. Besides causing damage to your home, rodents can also cause allergies and spread potentially lethal diseases such as the hantavirus and arena virus. A Minnesota animal control expert can help you get rid of the rodent problem you have and help you to prevent a future invasion.
They will have the tools and techniques to rid you of these unwanted pests once and for all. They will starting with removing animals humanely all the way through repairing their damages and preventing it from happening again.
Facts About Hantaviruses
“Facts About Hantavirus” Brochure 
[PDF – 182 KB]
This brochure provides detailed information for prevention of hantavirus in and around your home.
