Keeping Your Home Pest Free And Your Family Safe

Posted on: 14 October 2016

Now that the weather is changing, and the temperatures are starting to drop, mice are going to start looking for a warm place to nest for the winter. That leaves your home susceptible to invasion. Mice need warmth, available bedding material, and easy-access to food and water. They can find all of those items readily available inside your home. Luckily, if you prepare in advance, you can reduce the chances of developing a rodent problem this winter. Here are some steps you can take inside and outside of your home to help keep the mice away.

Inside Your Home

When it comes to keeping mice away during the winter, you want to make sure that you eliminate the situations that would create a comfortable living arrangement for them. You want to remove the access to food, bedding and water.

Clean the Cabinets

Mice need easy access to food during the winter. That's where your cabinets come in. Before winter arrives, take the time to clean all of your kitchen cabinets. Remove food particles and empty packages. If you have dry foods, such as noodles, rice or cereal stored in their original packages, you should place them in sealable, airtight containers. This will contain the food odor and prevent mice from chewing through the packaging.

Declutter the Closets

Take a look in the cabinets. If you have blankets and other items stored on the floor, place them in vacuum-sealed packages. These airtight storage packages allow you to consolidate storage space, as well as keep bedding away from the mice.

Fix Leaky Pipes

Mice need easy access to water during the winter. Take a look at your plumbing fixtures. If you have leaky faucets, toilets or pipes, get them fixed before the cold weather sets in. Since mice are attracted to moisture, those leaks make your home an easy target for winter rodent infestation.

Outside Your Home

Once you've rodent-proofed the inside of your home, it will be time to move outside for the second part of the project. The following tips will help you prevent access to your home this winter.

Move the Woodpile

While outside, mice need shelter from the elements. If you've got a woodpile stored near your home – particularly up against the house or on the porch – you need to move it out into the yard. Mice will hide in the woodpile until you open your door. If the woodpile is near your home, they have an easier time running in.

Trim the Trees

If you have branches that are resting up against your home, or that brush across the roof of your house, you need to prune it before winter. Mice and other winter visitors can use your tree as access to your roof. Once up there, they can climb down your chimney and vents to get inside.

Seal the Access Points

Finally, walk around your house. Look for cracks and holes in the stucco or foundation. Seal any cracks you find with latex caulking. For holes in the stucco or foundation, fill the space with a small amount of steel wool and then cover the area with latex caulking. The steel wool will fill the gap and the caulking will form a protective seal over the hole.

Winter is almost here. Time to rodent-proof your home. Use the tips provided here to keep mice away this winter. For other tips on how toget rid of mice, contact your pest control technician.