You’re in your basement, and you see a mouse scurry across the room (and you’re terrified!) Maybe you’re in the kitchen pantry, and you notice crumbs on the floor, and chew marks on the cereal boxes. Or maybe you’re lying in bed at night, and you hear critters running in the attic. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that you have a mice infestation on your hands, and you don’t know what to do.
Now that winter is here the chances of seeing mice in your home are significantly higher. Just like a lot of us, the mice don’t like the cold, and they prefer to seek shelter in the warmth and comfort of your home. If you see one mouse, odds are there are many more, so you need to be ready!
The first step to dealing with an infestation is to identify the type of mouse you have in your home. Thankfully, we’re here to help. Here are 3 types of mice trying to enter your home this winter, and what you can do to keep them outside where they belong!
The House Mouse (Mus musculus)
This rodent is the smallest of the three and is the one you will see most commonly inside your home. Mainly because this mouse is a nibbler, which means it loves to eat the cereal and grains that are in your kitchen/food pantries.
They are tiny, usually somewhere between 6-8 inches in length and weighing less than an ounce. They are black or grey, with a long gray tail. The best way to keep this mouse out of your home is to keep food off the floor and crumbs off the table. This will make your home uninhabitable, and the mice will move elsewhere.
The Brown Rat (Sewer Rat, Rattus norvegicus)
This rodent is a big one, generally somewhere between 12-16 inches, and 12-15 ounces. They’re brown in color and most commonly found in the basement. These rodents can gnaw their way through anything (including lead pipes), and they prefer a cold, dark, and damp living environment. The brown rat is a difficult one to trap; so keeping them out of your home from the get-go is a must!
The Black Rat (Roof Rat, Rattus rattus)
This rodent is about the same length as the brown rat, but it is about half the weight. True to its name, it is a black (or sometimes dark gray) rodent, with an exceptionally long tail. Because these rats are good climbers, they can often be found on your roof, or in your attic. Either way, the black rat can be extremely annoying at night.
The best way to keep the black rat outside is to make sure your tree and shrub branches are trimmed away from your home. This will prevent them from climbing up the trees, to get onto your roof, and ultimately into your home.
At Pest Control Unlimited, we understand the dangers a mice infestation can pose to your home, your family, and your pets. With our house pest control program, you can take back your home once and for all! Give us a call today at (888) 649-9919 to hear more about how our experts can help you protect your home from these critters, and prevent them from ever returning!
