Finding evidence of a mouse in the house is upsetting but also unhealthy.
The largest sign is mouse droppings, which resemble large, dark grains of rice.
Mice also can jump 13 inches high and run along branches, wires, cables, and ropes.
The Spruce / Kaley McKean
They are excellent jumpers, swimmers, and climbers and can scale rough and vertical surfaces.
One female mouse can breed up to eight litters of five to six young a year.
Those offspring reproduce in as little as six weeks and live for as many as three years.
Several control methods include traps, baits, and professional pest control.
Poisoning, however, is both inhumane and potentially harmful to children and pets.
Address Access Points
Seal openings around pipes, roof vents, and other potential entry points.
This helps prevent future mice infestations once the current problem is fixed.
Remember that mice don’t need large openings to get indoors.
A good rule of thumb: if a pencil can fit, so can a mouse.
opt for Proper Trap and Bait
Basic wooden snapmouse trapsare effective and affordable but not humane.
If you find snap traps upsetting, there are alternativecatch-and-release style traps.
Peanut butter is a more effective bait than cheese at luring out mice.
Mice are curious and investigate new things.
This is why peanut butter works well for mouse traps.
Mice need to work to get the food out of the bait, setting off the trap.
Mice are threatening to both your health and home.
If you spot a mouse in your home, use traps and bait to address the issue immediately.
Mice love cereal and other grains, pet food, and sweets, among other items.
Keep food and paper items in plastic storage containers and fix gaps or crevices around doors and windows.
How to Handle Food Products That Have Been Exposed to Filth.FDA.
Rodent-borne Diseases.National Park Service.
House Mouse Prevention and Control.Illinois Department of Public Health.
Controlling Wild Rodent Infestations.CDC.
