Your Mouse Population in Your House

!±8± Your Mouse Population in Your House

You might have some real problems if you turn on the lights, and you see a couple of mice running for the hills. You might have a real pest control problem. Do not run yourself! The longer you avoid the problem, the more it will grow.

In order to understand why, you need to understand a mouse a little bit better. Mice are really nocturnal creatures, meaning they like the dark. If you turn on the lights and they run, there are many hiding behind the scene, watching you and their friends interact. Many times, the younger, braver mice, will venture out even with noises present. Many mice, will just hide in their nesting areas, waiting for quiet and darkness.

Mice have bad vision, and this may be because they have adapted to running in underground burrows, and in tight dark areas. They have excellent hearing and can hear beyond what humans can hear. That is why an ultrasonic wave plug-in can be bothersome for them, but not us. They use the high frequency of 90kHz when they are babies, to scream a warning to their mother, if a predator is near. That is why you might happen on a nest, and if mom is no where to be found, she will suddenly show up!

Since humans can only hear up to 20kHz, we are missing a lot of chatter. If you can not hear the noises, you are really lacking the information to understand how many may be in your walls of your home!

And, since mice are great at raising babies, and can have around 48 a year, you are going to have more than you probably thought you have. They are fertile as young as 6 weeks old, most at 8 weeks, and that means an exponential growth factor, with the right conditions.

If you have a warm place, around 75 degrees, lots of water and food present, humidity levels of around 55%, you are going to have lots of mice if a group finds a way in. They are usually happy to evacuate if you have too many variables, like little food, or the place is too dry for them. They also need to be able to nest in a dark area, so if that is not available, it can be easier to go somewhere else.

Your best defense is to learn more about mice and how their needs will lead them to a successful capture on your part. If you have little time to manage this problem, find another family member to help. Exterminators will be expensive, but well worth the money, if you catch the problem before it gets too large.

Remember, removing mice from your home can be a process, and will take time. Some mice prefer to sit tight, and watch how the traps work, thus making capture difficult. Here are 3 steps you can take to start your rodent control process:

Set out baited snap traps at night, but do not set them! You can try this to let the group get some eaxy eats, and see how they like the bait too. Try a combo of peanut butter and jelly. Baited traps set at day 8! You might want to wait until you have all traps eaten on, and food removed completely. If you are not getting any takers, change to crackers, sugary candies, or something gooey like sour creme. Then on night 8 or so, set the traps. Chances are, you are going to catch some mice! Think about buying an Electronic Trap. If you have the money, these traps can work with your population of dumb mice. They seem to work on some mice better than others, but are a great humane way to remove mice from your home. It can remove around 10-15 mice in one night!

Keep on your hunt, and do not get discouraged. You are going to catch them all, and it will take some time. Just when you think you have caught them all, set out another trap, and see what happens.