A mouse infestation is never good. Mice may look cute, but they leave a trail of destruction behind them. Not to mention the diseases they can bring into your home.
Follow our advice to avoid a mouse infestation and the signs that you might have one.
1. Keep your garden tidy
Mice will often get in through your garden, so keep it tidy. Don’t leave piles of mulch around and keep your hedges trimmed. Mice love to hide in these places so don’t give them the opportunity to hide there.
2. Secure the outside of your home
A mouse infestation can easily start if you’ve got holes and gaps that mice can get through. Fix any cracks in pipes, spaces under doors and holes in walls.
3. Plant strong smelling plants
Mice hate strong smelling plants like garlic and mint. Plant these in your garden to deter them. And you’ll get some nice herbs to use in your cooking!
4. Attract birds
Birds are the number 1 enemy of mice. If you try to attract owls into your garden, mice won’t dare to inhabit your garden and therefore your house.
Their natural instinct will kick in, telling them to stay away from anywhere where their predators are lurking.
4. Keep your food out of the way
Store cereals and other foods in airtight containers where mice can’t gnaw through. If they haven’t got a food supply, they won’t be attracted to your home.
How to spot a mouse infestation
There are plenty of ways to spot whether you have a mouse infestation. From droppings to smells, it won’t be too difficult to work it out.
1. Mouse droppings
If you see any mouse droppings, you can be sure you have or have had mice recently. Their droppings spread bacteria and may also carry diseases, so you want to remove them as soon as possible and get rid of the initial problem.
2. Listen out
You might hear scratching at night coming from inside your walls or under your floor. Mice love to check out their environment, so you might hear them trying to dig out an escape route through wood, cement and any other materials that are in their way.
3. Recognise the smell
If you can smell urine and faeces in any part of your home, this is a sure sign that you’ve got a rodent problem. Make sure you give all surfaces a thorough clean when you know you’ve had a mouse infestation as there will be plenty of bacteria multiplying.
4. Actually see a mouse…
Whether it’s dead or alive, spotting a mouse is the only proof you need that you’ve got a mouse infestation. If you see one, you can guarantee there will be plenty more.
Make sure you follow our tips on avoiding a mouse infestation and hopefully you won’t have to use our tips on how to spot one!