Proudly Serving Northern New Jersey, Rockland County & Manhattan

How Does Pest Control Get Rid of Mice?

A photo of plent of mice

Mice infestation is a common household problem that is both difficult to manage and frustrating. They are known to cause havoc in many ways, including stealing food, chewing on fabric and electrical wires, eating paper products, contaminating food, spreading illness, and leaving behind urine and excrement that is contaminated with bacteria and viruses.

Mice multiply quickly, and once their numbers increase, they are difficult to eradicate. Offices, hospitals, and abandoned buildings are all susceptible to mouse infestations as long as the area provides them with warmth, food, and shelter.

Mice pest control entails detecting, controlling, and preventing mouse infestations in a safe and effective manner. A certified and skilled mouse exterminator is required for effective mouse pest control

Although DIY pest control can be effective, hiring a professional exterminator is the best way to deal with a mouse infestation. After attempting do-it-yourself solutions, nearly half of those polled in 2022 said they eventually hired an exterminator.

If you want to keep mice out of your house or place of business, you must learn about mouse behavior, take preventative measures, and identify effective treatment options if an infestation occurs.

Let’s look at what exterminators do to get rid of mice and how you can best prepare if you have a mouse infestation in your home.

What Are Mice What Do They Look Like

How Does Pest Control Get Rid of Mice? (Fully Explained)

What Are Mice What Do They Look Like?

Mice are small rodents that are found all over the world. Although there are numerous species of mice, the most common ones to be found in your home or place of business are house, deer, and white-footed mice.

Though some people use the terms “mice” and “rats” interchangeably, they are actually different species of rodents. Rats are larger than mice and can be bald, scaly, or cylinder-shaped. Whereas mice are small, gray-furred animals. They generally have larger ears and shorter, thinner tails than rats.

Mice are classified as omnivores and are known to store food in their nests or burrows. Mice consume a wide variety of plant materials in their natural habitat, including fruits, berries, roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. Additionally, deer mice eat their own excrement. They will consume anything that is readily available to them and still lie around when they are in close proximity to humans.

Which Mouse Types Infest Homes?

In the US, there are three main kinds of mice that invade homes. If you have a mouse in your house, it is most likely one of these three:

  • Deer mice: In addition to being brown in color, deer mice typically have a partially white tail. They are the type of mouse most likely to carry the Hantavirus respiratory disease, and they are mostly found in rural areas. Usually, they enter your house in search of easy food sources or warmth.
  • House mice: Although house mice have poor overall vision and are color blind, they have remarkable senses of smell and hearing. They are rounder than deer mice and can be found anywhere in North America. Not only do they gnaw through electrical wiring, drywall, and insulation, but they can also transmit Salmonella.
  • White-footed mice: The mouse you are most likely to come across as an intruder is this one, though, in the winter when food is scarce, white-footed mice will also seek out any warm spot.

All three of these species of mice are mainly nocturnal and can flee danger quickly. If mice are spotted during the day, they are most likely house mice.

House mice seldom venture farther than 100 feet from their nests; instead, they usually remain near them. The house mice are most likely to infest urban areas and prefer to live close to human habitation, though they can also survive in fields and forests. When the weather turns chilly, they look for cover, which is usually a house, barn, or storage shed.

In contrast, the deer and white-footed mice are more likely to leave their nests and travel further. The deer mice inhabit a wide range of environments, such as grasslands, forests, deserts, and agricultural fields. Nonetheless, prairies, forested areas, and woodlands are their most typical habitats. The most common habitats for white-footed mice are suburban, agricultural, and woodland areas.

How Often Do Mice Breed?

Within buildings like homes, house mice breed all year long. On the other hand, the breeding season in its natural habitat typically lasts from April to September. Females can live up to two years in protected areas and approximately one year in the wild after reaching sexual maturity at five to six weeks of age.

Reproduction either ceases completely or is significantly reduced in the typical deer mouse environment during the winter. Reproduction is higher in warmer regions of the nation than in colder ones, as one might anticipate.

White-footed mice give birth mostly in the spring and late summer or fall. Breeding and development take place for a longer period of time in warmer climates. The size of the female’s litter increases as she has more generations; peaks at the fifth or sixth litter; and begins to decrease as she ages. White-footed mice have a one-year lifespan in the wild.

Dangers of Having Rats & Mice in Your Home

Not only do mice threaten people, but also material structures. They have a nasty reputation for gnawing through flooring and walls and completely ruining interior electrical wiring.

Furthermore, mice are carriers of numerous diseases that can be acquired by coming into contact with their excrement or urine, or sometimes even contaminated food.

Health Risks and Diseases

Dust from dried mouse droppings can spread the hantavirus, a serious respiratory disease that initially presents as fever, muscle aches, and lethargy. If left untreated, these symptoms may result in a buildup of fluid in the lungs, which could cause breathing difficulties.

Furthermore, mice can spread the Salmonella bacteria by walking across or touching surfaces like food boxes, pantry cabinets, and kitchen countertops. They can also spread the bacteria by urinating or defecating. When humans come into contact with Salmonella, they may get cramps, diarrhea, and fever.

Property Damage

Since mice are rodents, their incisors grow continuously throughout their lives, and as a result, they have to learn strategies for controlling the rate of dental growth. They will gnaw and chew on the wood in your house, including rafters and support beams, wiring, and occasionally even plumbing.

Inspection for Mice

Should you suspect that you have a serious mouse infestation, you may want to consider hiring an exterminator or professional pest control company.

Exterminators use a variety of methods to determine whether you require professional mice control services, including the ones listed below:

Points of Entry

If you don’t properly seal off your windows, doors, and wall crevices, house mice can enter your home almost anywhere because their tiny, furry bodies can fit through openings approximately the size of a dime. Inspections should be done on a regular basis so that you are always aware of any possible openings that mice might use to enter your house.

Sources of Food

When it comes to food sources, mice don’t have a preference; they are drawn to anything that is readily available. A mouse family moving into your pantry, where you keep canned food and dry goods, is a common occurrence. They might also be drawn to your recycling or trash.

Habitat

Since mice prefer soft, warm environments for their nests and reproduction, the insulation inside your walls is a great place for them to make their homes. Mice also reside beneath cabinets because it’s dry, warm, and near food supplies. They also have a tendency to enjoy quiet, dark places like crawl spaces and wall voids.

Signs of Mice

You can detect mouse infestations by looking for warning signs. You will most likely see droppings, especially near food sources such as pet food or unprotected dry goods.

There will also be gnawed or chewed food bags where mice have contaminated them. Scratching or chewing sounds within your walls are also an alarming sign of the presence of mice.

How Can You Keep Mice Out of Your House?

Keeping new mice out of the house or building is the first step toward effective mouse control. Two main aspects of mouse-proofing are sanitation and exclusion:

  • To keep mice out of the house, any holes, cracks, or gaps larger than a pen cap should be sealed with cement or a mixing compound. Since mice can chew through wood surfaces, it is not advised to use it to seal these holes.
  • Cleaning may also have an effect on mouse infestations. After using the dishes, be sure to wash them immediately.
  • Food storage containers that fit tightly, such as glass or metal ones, are the best choices to prevent mice from reaching your food.
  • Greasy food scraps should never be left on tables or floors because mice get the majority of their water from these scavenged remnants.
  • Once an infestation has occurred in a home, preventive measures are ineffective. The most effective mouse control techniques are those used by qualified experts.

How Does Pest Control Get Rid of Mice? (Step by Step)

To get rid of mice, mice exterminators adhere to strict protocols. They use strategies that work for varying mouse species and infestation levels. Let’s first examine the steps that need to be taken:

  • Entry Point Elimination: A reputable pest control company will begin with this step. A mice exterminator will inspect the inside and outside of your home, identify entry points, and seal them with sheet metal, wire mesh, or hardware cloth. The exterminator will ensure that the seal is properly secured to prevent mice from entering or exiting. Pipes and vents are examples of entry points.
  • Setting Up Traps: The mice exterminator will then strategically place traps in your basement, kitchen, attic, bedroom, and bathrooms. A variety of traps can be used, including glue traps, snap traps, and other live capture traps. This method aids in the control of a smaller mouse infestation. In the event of a large infestation, this technique will aid in the reduction of the mouse population.
  • Usage of Bait Stations: Bait stations are similar to traps in that they kill mice, whereas traps capture them alive. Bait stations use the technique of making poisoned treats available for mice to eat and die from. The mice exterminator returns after a few days to remove the bodies of dead mice, preventing hygiene issues and bad odors from infesting the home. This technique reduces the population of mice and eliminates mice more quickly.
  • Fumigation: When all other extermination methods fail to get rid of mice, mice exterminators resort to this method as a last resort. This method is costly, dangerous, and may necessitate you and your family leaving the house for several days or weeks. Exterminators use chemicals such as Phosphine, Formaldehyde, Magnesium phosphide, and carbon dioxide for fumigation.

Phosphine: This is most commonly used as a fumigant. When exposed to air, it turns into a gas and can even explode. If inhaled, it is fatal.

Formaldehyde: This prevents the rodents’ cells from dividing.

Magnesium phosphide: This chemical is a powder that, when mixed with water, produces a toxic gas.

Carbon dioxide: Because it leaves no residue, this is the safest chemical on the list. Nothing inside your home can breathe while it is being fumigated, but you don’t have to worry about it contaminating anything when you return home.

Important Note: It is illegal for a layperson to attempt mouse fumigation! Residential fumigation is illegal in many states, and fumigation can only be used on barns, storage buildings, and other non-residential structures. This can only be attempted by pest control professionals, and it is only used as a last resort!

Which Methods Are Used by Titan Pest Services?

If you have a serious mouse infestation or are having difficulty getting rid of the mice in your home, a professional mice exterminator from Titan Pest Services would be a good choice. Titan’s professional mouse exterminators are licensed to use specific chemicals and effective methods.

Titan exterminators follow strict protocols to get rid of mice. They employ strategies that are effective for a variety of mouse species and infestation levels. Now that we’ve learned the steps, let’s look at the procedures they follow:

  • First, a mouse exterminator will inspect the outside and inside of your home, identifying any points of entry and sealing them with hardware cloth, wire mesh, or sheet metal.
  • The mouse exterminator will then place traps in strategic locations in your kitchen, attic, bedroom, and bathrooms. They use various traps, such as snap, glue, and other live capture traps.
  • The exterminator will then use bait stations if the population is large enough.
  • When all other methods of eliminating mice prove ineffective, and if the infestation is severe, our exterminator will resort to fumigation as a last resort.

Titan Pest Services wants you to remember that mice in their burrows die out. You will need to thoroughly clean your home and remove any overgrowth that has grown next to it. This reduces the likelihood of a re-infestation.

How Long Does It Take for Pest Control to Get Rid of Mice?

Depending on where the mice have burrowed into your house and how big the population has grown, different mouse removal procedures take different amounts of time. Even though mice exterminators treat mice for one to two days, it may actually take a month or more for things to return to normal.

This is entirely dependent on the number of mice you have living with you. It might take as little as a week or two if you only have a small family or a couple of mice.

However, eliminating a full-blown rodent infestation—which includes the mice themselves, their nesting materials, and all of their excretions—can take one to three months.

Titan Pest Services Provides Professional Mice Extermination

If everything else fails, it is best to seek professional help.

Titan Pest Services, based in Closter, New Jersey, is a full-service family-owned and operated pest control company. We specialize in both commercial and residential pest control.

We eliminate and control pests of all kinds, from the most common to the most exotic.

Single-family homes, residential condo complexes, luxury hotels, athletic stadiums, airports, food establishments, and many more are among our clients.

Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance keeping your home pest-free.