Did you know that mice can squeeze their way into an opening
the size of a dime? Weighing only one-half of an ounce, they are excellent
swimmers and stellar athletes! A little
mouse can jump an entire foot into the air!
That's higher than most humans!
At an average length of 5.5 to 7.5 inches, light grey with a
3-4 inch tail, females can give birth at only 2 months old! Even more astonishing is the ability to give
birth to a dozen babies every 3 weeks! That’s
a 19 Kids and Counting show we don’t want airing in our home!
In the summer, mice will live in underground burrows or
trees; but when it gets cold, they want to bunk up with us in our nicely heated
home. While a resident, they like to cause damage while looking for food –
chewing on electrical wires, important papers, storage boxes and bags; and
nesting in our clothing and linens. And let’s not forget the possibility of
sickness and disease caused by their excrement.
A home inspector is in your house only 2 to 2.5 hours, while
the mice far outnumber us and live just outside - and inside - your door 24
hours a day, every day. In certain
regions, up to 85% of homes will have mice each fall or winter.
There are several methods to eliminate mice from our homes
once they are in, such as adopting a cat, placing peppermint essential
oil-soaked cotton balls or spraying a hot pepper solution in areas they
frequent, and either kill-traps or live-traps.
Preventing them access in the first place is ideal, and
there are several ways this can be accomplished. Here are a few tried and true:
- Inspect the foundation, walls, and eaves of your
home to be sure possible points of entry are blocked. Fill any holes, gaps or
openings outside and inside your home with steel wool, copper mesh, or even
good old duct tape. Be sure the weather seals at the bottom of your doors are
in good condition.
- Place your garbage cans and recycling bins as
far from your home as possible. Secure lids by tying them shut, using bungee
cords, or heavy rocks.
- Hang your bird feeders further away from your
windows, rather than up close where seeds on the ground invite the mice to move
in.
- Maintain a clear space right up against your
foundation to eliminate hiding spaces as mice look for a way in.
While no method to deter mice from taking up residency in
our homes is fail-proof, doing what we can to keep them out will help keep our
homes healthier and happier throughout every season.
