Renovating your home during winter is stressful enough, even without pests. Unfortunately, for those who decided to do their renovations in the past two winters, mice have been a real problem. Sadly, it looks like 2023 won’t be any different.
Those are the conclusions after a data analysis by one of the UK’s most prominent and sought-after mice control service providers, Fantastic Services. Their data shows that over the past two years, pest control bookings related to mice have skyrocketed. The main reason behind this boom is the rapid rise in mice and rat populations in the cities during the Lockdowns. However, in 2023 the effects of this massive population expansion can still be felt. Typically, mid to late winter is the peak when mice attack unsuspecting households seeking food, warmth and safety. And what better place to hide than a house under renovation?
What do you need to know about house mice?
Before you start panicking, we will try to help with some advice. However, before we get to the point, you first need to understand some specifics about house mice.
The good news is that mice are the least dangerous rodent you can see in your home. Actually, they are among the least hazardous pests altogether. The bad news, however, is that mice are still damaging. They carry various diseases like HPS, Leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, plague, and typhus. Though all of them can be cured, having them won’t be the year’s highlight.
Moreover, mice may also carry rabies, but this is highly improbable, as rabies has been eradicated from Europe since the early 2000s’. More importantly, mice are not rats and are unlikely to attack or bite you. Instead, they always try to run away and will only bite if you decide to kill them with your bare hands.
Still, mice can damage your belongings as they eat fabric, wood and almost anything they can get their hands on. Moreover, they will leave their waste everywhere, which is a health hazard for you and your pets.
What are the signs of mice infestation?
Mice are usually hardly noticeable due to their size and stealth movement. They avoid humans and operate during the night when the lights are off. Still, they are not the cleanest thieves, and you can still notice their leftovers. The best way to detect a mouse is from the food crumbs and debris you will find in the morning in unusual places. You will notice such on shelves near stored food, on the floor or in the pantry.
Next, you will notice tiny scratch marks or chew marks on shelves, food packaging or wood in your basement or other storage spaces. Just as a precaution, if you see such marks on a food container and you have any suspicions it might have been breached and the food contaminated, just save your losses and throw the food away.
Wherever there are mice, there are surely going to be droppings. They look like tiny brown rice grains.
You will see them mostly where the mice typically go, so you can quickly establish a pattern of their behaviour. They will usually be near their layer’s entry or a food source. Following the droppings, you can easily find the nest, which will be your most significant proof that there is something wrong in your home. Typically you will discover mice nesting in fabric, soft materials, shredded paper and even pet hair.
Speaking of pets, if you think your dog or cat is going crazy, you might want to consider if they are not actually detecting the smell of the mice. In such cases, you might want to check the places where your pet is scratching uncontrollably. So, since mice don’t like humans and they like pets even less, why do they want to come into your home in the first place?
Why do they come into your home, and where do they hide?
The answer here is quite simple – food, warmth and nesting. Just like you, mice are not particularly fond of the cold weather outside and prefer to be in a warm sustenance-rich place where they can nest for the winter and even longer. Since you are not quite interested in having such a roommate, the mouse prefers to keep to its own and usually hides in rarely visited places like the attic, the basement or a boiler room.
They can even hide inside walls or use them as a highway to get to your food. Yes, food is the primary reason they would consider a place as their winter palace. If you keep food outside or don’t get your trash out and sealed, mice will take it as an invitation to stay.
Finally, you may unintentionally invite mice by leaving your stored items unprotected. Mice love collecting human items for their nests and usually prefer nesting in old furniture left unprotected in storage. Now that you know what drives mice into your home, you may wonder how to prevent them from ever coming in.
What home pest control techniques will help you
First and foremost, make sure to remove all food sources that mice can reach. For example, keep cereals and other foods that typically come in paper packaging in plastic or, better yet, glass containers. Mice prefer not to chew on plastic, but that’s practically impossible when it comes to glass.
Second, make sure you keep all your stored items well-packed and covered. If they can’t fit in a plastic or metal container, you can place a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil to deter any mice from coming close.
Next on the list is sealing all entry points. Mice can get through wall cracks, vents, unsealed windows and sewage canals. So naturally, all of them must be closed. Moreover, placing some apple cider and water mixture near entry points will discourage mice from coming in.
Finally, you can get a cat. Cats are excellent hunters and will definitely solve your problem. The downside is that if the mouse they catch is sick, your cat will probably catch it too. Another serious downside is the way cats show their love and respect. They will catch a mouse and bring it to you as a present. In the best-case scenario, you will receive it around your shoes or near the fridge. In the worst-case scenario, you will receive it directly in your mouth while sleeping.
What to do during the renovation
Even if you keep away mice effectively while at home, mice can find their way in during renovations. Even if there is no abundant food source, if you store your furniture unprotected and you sleep elsewhere during the night, mice will take that as a win and scavenge whatever they can find. To prevent your home from becoming a breeding ground for the next generation of house mice, you must take some measures before leaving your home.
First, add a pest control clause in your contract with the contractors if possible. This way, they will have to do everything within their power to prevent pests from entering your home while renovating. Next, seal off all entry points, like pipes in the kitchen. This can be done with duct tape and some wire mesh. After that, you need to check external entry points that might be a problem. Yes, the contractors will fill them up at some point, but until then, they should be stuffed with steel cotton so that mice will stay away.
Most importantly, ensure your contractors don’t leave any food behind and don’t leave sewer lines uncapped while changing the bathroom’s toilet, sink or bathtub. These can be entry points for something much more dangerous than a house mouse – rats.
Conclusion
Preventing mice from entering your home during renovations is relatively easy. All you need is some discipline, or your contractors need some discipline. Still, if somehow a mouse manages to get in, you know how to get rid of it. If you are still unsure, you can call professionals to take care of it. This will save you time and effort, and most importantly, they will ensure you won’t see another rodent just a week later.