Mouse Control
House Mice are the most common type of mice to invade Minnesota homes and businesses. They can cause serious damage, and can be difficult for a homeowner to get rid of.
House Mice are very small and grayish brown. They weigh only about ½ ounce, making them able to squeeze through very small openings undetected. House Mice cause the most damage by feeding on stored human and pet foods. They will contaminate any food they come in contact with through their feces and hair, making the foods unfit for human or pet consumption because of possible salmonella contamination. House Mice will eat through many types of packaging, making the best way to deal with them in your home or business to get rid of them altogether.
House mouse control
Effective control involves three components — good sanitation, mouse-proof construction and population reduction. The first two are useful as preventive measures. When a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. Reduction techniques include trapping, poisoning and fumigation.
Sanitation
Because mice can survive in very small areas with limited amounts of food and shelter, it is almost impossible to totally eliminate populations, particularly on farms. Most buildings in which food is stored, handled or used will support mice if they are not mouse-proof, no matter how good the sanitation. Although good sanitation will seldom eliminate mice, poor sanitation is sure to attract them and will permit them to thrive in greater abundance. Concentrate on eliminating places where mice find shelter. If they have few places to rest, hide, or build nests and rear young, they cannot survive in large numbers.
Mouse-proof Your Home
The most successful and permanent form of house mouse control is to “build them out” by eliminating all openings through which they can enter a structure. All places where food is stored, processed or used should be made mouse-proof.
Seal any openings larger than 1/4 inch to exclude mice. Steel wool makes a good temporary plug. Tightly seal cracks and openings in building foundations and openings for water pipes, vents and utilities with metal or concrete. Doors, windows and screens should fit tightly. It may be necessary to cover the edges with metal to prevent gnawing. Plastic sheeting or screen, wood, rubber or other gnawable materials are unsuitable for plugging holes used by mice.
