Health Protection

General Information

House mice live within an area of 10 to 30’ from their nests. Mice can live anywhere in a house. The places where they may nest include the space between walls, under floors, and in spaces around cupboards or under counters.

Signs of a mouse infestation may include a live mouse sighting, mouse droppings, tracks or footprints, gnaw marks, rub marks, nests, runways, or damaged goods, such as food.

Mice have good senses with the exception of sight; they cannot see clearly beyond 6” (15 cm). Mice are capable of squeezing through an opening as small as ¼” (6 mm) in diameter. They are excellent climbers and can run up most rough walls. Mice can swim, jump up approximately 12” (30.5 cm), and jump down from about 8’ (2.5 m) high without getting hurt.

A mouse needs about 1/10-oz (2.8 g) of dry food and 1/20 oz (1.5 ml) of water every day. Mice are nibblers and eat only small amounts of food at any one time. One mouse will produce about 50 droppings each day. A mouse will normally live less than a year.

Identification

Control

If you choose to hire a licenced pest control company to control your mouse problem, a list of companies can be found under Pest Control Services in the Yellow Pages. If you choose to correct the pest problem on your own, several steps need to be taken. By using a combination of these steps, the mouse infestation may be eliminated.

1. Identify the type of infestation, the area used for shelter and the possible food sources.

2. General cleanliness of the home or building will reduce the availability of food and hiding areas. Eliminate living areas and breeding sites by removing any rubbish, such as boxes and woodpiles from basements, yards or garages.

3. Protect food sources by using tight fitting containers for storage. Dispose of food wastes and garbage in plastic bags and put into containers made of metal or heavy plastic with tight fitting lids. Maintain good housekeeping.

4. Rodent proof the home by using tight seals or caulking and other structural barriers, such as metal screening, placed over dryer vents or other openings.

5. Using spring traps baited with rolled oats, peanut butter, bread, cheese, chocolate, or lightly cooked bacon can trap house mice. These traps should be placed in areas where mice travel most or where mice droppings are seen. Multi-catch traps and glue boards can also be used. Check traps daily and remove dead mice as soon as possible. Handle dead rodents and droppings with gloves and dispose of in tightly sealed bags in your household garbage. Wash your hands with soap and warm, running water after handling dead rodents, dropping, traps, and baits.

6. Rodenticides are poison bait (food) that are used to kill mice and rats and are placed in bait stations. Poisons should be clearly labelled and kept in a safe, dry place. Rodenticides are poisonous to other animals and humans. Always read and follow the label directions and precautions.

7. Place bait stations in areas close to where the mice live or where droppings are found so they are accessible to the mice. Keep the bait fresh and replace frequently.

8. Monitor and evaluate the success of your efforts because other strategies may need to be used in order to find the ones that work best for your situation.