Pest Control for Mice – 8 Important Tips

As a leading Sunshine Coast pest control company, Proactive Pest Solutions doesn’t just help you keep your home and family safe from insects, spiders, and other such creepy crawlies. We are also your local go-to solutions provider if you have need pest control for mice. 

Yes, plenty of people keep mice (or rats) as much-loved family pets. But they are also rampant in the wild – and rodents you’ve not intentionally adopted and welcomed into your family home (and had desexed before housing them in an impervious cage or tank) can wreak havoc. 

It’s important to understand the specific issues associated with having a problem with rodents, the signs they are in residence, and how to get rid of them – and keep them away.

Mice Versus Rats

Is it a mouse – or is it a rat?

Both of these furry little creatures are members of the wider rodent family – gnawing mammals with continuously-growing incisor teeth. 40% of all mammal species are rodents.

The main differences between rats and mice:  

• Size – rats are larger than mice, and a baby rat can be difficult to distinguish from an adult mouse. A common mouse will grow to between 12-20cm in length, while an adult rat can exceed 40cm in length (tails included). 
• Appearance – mice are usually white, grey, or brown. Their whiskers are long, their snout is triangular or pointed, and the tail is thin and hairy. 
• Tail – rats and mice both have long tails. Relative to the size of its body, the mouse’s tail is longer. 
• Diet – rats and mice are omnivores – they eat everything. Mice generally prefer a healthier, more natural diet of nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, and fruits. Rats seek heavier, bigger meals and happily eat pet food, meat, fish, and cheese. If hungry enough, both species will eat dead members of their colony. 
• Droppings – rat droppings are larger and individual droppings have rounded ends, while mouse droppings tend to have a pointier end. A mouse can leave as many as 100 droppings every day. 
• Breeding – female mice usually live just 1-2 years. They start mating at just one month of age. A single female mouse can become pregnant 10 times each year and will produce between 120 and 300 offspring over her lifespan. A female rat, on the other hand, can deliver more than 2000 babies in a single year.

Do You Have Mice in Your Home?

Whether it’s rats or mice, both can be a problem in your home. Over recent years, there has been a serious mouse plague in parts of Australia, and many homes, even in the cities and suburbs, have problems with rodent infestations.

Signs of mice include:

• Scratching sounds in your wall cavities or ceiling, especially at night
• Sighting mice scurrying across your property
• Debris or chewed food boxes in your pantry
• Chewed fruit on your kitchen bench-top
• Chewed books, paper, cloth, and light materials including clothing
• Damage to insulation
• Damage to furniture 
• Leaves/nesting materials in your attic/ceiling
• Electrical problems
• Droppings on your property
• Distinct, musky odour of mouse urine
• Contaminated food
• A visible nest

Why is Pest Control for Mice so Important?

Don’t be fooled – it’s very unlikely you just have one or two cute little mice or rats living in your house or garage. If you see one or two, it’s most likely that the nest is closer than you think, and there could be hundreds of their family members hunkered down there. With their prolific breeding ability, before you know it you can have a major rodent infestation. This is why pest control for mice is important to get onto quickly.

Mice will come into your house seeking shelter, water, and food. 

Mice are great climbers. They love accessing and living in walls, ceilings, and attics, while rats are more likely to be found living in subfloors and crawlspaces. 

Mice have weaker teeth and jaws than rats, and while they will chew on anything, they can’t easily open or chew through glass, metal, or hard plastic. 

There are several reasons to control mice on your property:

1. Fire Hazard – mice can chew through the insulation on electrical wires, causing electrical faults and even a fire. 
2. Nesting – mice will destroy fabrics and papers to take materials to build their nests. They can even burrow into upholstered furniture, clothing and linen closets, or even mattresses and build their nests there. 
3. Accumulated mouse droppings and urine in walls and ceilings can deface and decay structures and infuse your home with a nasty odour. 
4. Mice (and rats) carry viral and bacterial diseases. These are transmissible to humans and family pets via food contamination and contact with mouse saliva, urine, and droppings. Mice may also transmit disease via a bite.
   
   These diseases include (but are not limited to):
   1. Rat-bite fever
   2. Hantavirus
   3. Salmonellosis
   4. Leptospirosis
   5. Bubonic plague 
5. Mice (and rats) can carry fleas, ticks, and lice – which can be harmful to humans and pets. 

Pest Control for Mice – How To

By following these pest control for mice steps, you will help rid your home of the annoying and disruptive pests. While these steps will help prevent mice, it’s always important to talk to a professional to look for signs of a larger infestation.

1. Eliminate the attraction! Mice seek easy food, water, and shelter – don’t make it easy for them. 
2. Eliminate entry points. It only takes a tiny gap for mice to enter your home – so you need to seal weak points, holes, cracks, and other access points. Utility pipes and vents may need a mesh cover. 
3. Be aware that mice can (and will) chew through plastic, rubber, wood, and caulk seals. 
4. Don’t leave covers off pet food, birdseed, etc. Try to feed pets indoors and keep doors closed and use screens on windows. Cover and put away food and keep kitchen benches clean and clear of crumbs. 
5. Keep your pantry clean and cereals, flour, grains, sugar, cookies, nuts, etc in sealed, lidded, robust containers. 
6. Take professional rodent control provider advice regarding mousetrap types and placement. If you have a very small mouse population, live traps may be adequate rather than using toxic chemicals in your home. 
7. Larger infestations will require pest control for mice bait stations to poison and kill the nest/colony. These are effective at reducing the size of the colony; thereafter, the pest control service will return to the property, track the mice to the nest, and remove the mouse corpses before your home is further affected by odour or hygiene problems. 
8. Severe mouse problems can be resolved by fumigation. This is a highly specialised pest control for mice procedure that must only be undertaken by a professional pest control company in compliance with strict local environmental regulations.

Call Proactive Pest Solutions for Rodent Pest Control 

CONTACT PROACTIVE PEST SOLUTIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO DISCUSS YOUR RODENT SITUATION.

We can help you bid a (less than) fond farewell to mice that have invited themselves to live on your property. As professional, pest controllers, we will tailor an approach for pest control for mice and other rodents to your home and personal situation. This may include using mechanical traps, rodenticide baits, and other methods, as well as future risk mitigation.

Call us for rodent control and elimination on 1800 979 611 or email hello@proactivepestsolutions.com.au. We also welcome you to request a quote via our online contact form.