Since the beginning of human existence, mice have been plaguing humans. They are known to infest homes and buildings because they can slip through tiny entry points. Property owners need to worry about mice due to their destructive eating habits. And they can even spread diseases throughout their homes.
Mice are not only annoying. They can also make your loved ones sick. You need to remove them as fast as possible. They can cause severe property damage and inventory loss for businesses. And they can also pose health risks for food-based companies.
Hiring a professional mice exterminator is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting rid of mice and other rodents before they can harm or cause more damages. It is not a problem to find and hire an expert in this field. Hiring an expert can save you time and money, depending on your mice infestation.
Why Is It Important to Get Rid of Mice?
Firstly, mice can spread various human diseases. One of these fatal diseases is the Hantavirus. Secondly, they can cause severe damages to your home, your furniture, books, and books. Once you realize there are mice on your property, getting rid of them immediately is so important.
Contaminated urine and feces can transmit many dangerous diseases. Here are the most common hazardous diseases:
- Leptospirosis
- Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis
- Tularemia
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Salmonellosis
Reasons to Hire Professional Mice Exterminators
It takes time for people to know that they have problems with mice. They only realize once they have a full-blown infestation. Mice know how to hide since they are intelligent creatures. They can go unnoticed for long periods.
There are several essential stages in mice extermination; track down the mice, identify possible entry and exit points, and zeroing the nests. One of your hunts can scare the mice away. They will move to a new house. They will stay there for some time. Then, they will return later. Hiring a professional exterminator ensures you never have recurring mice problems.
You can try to get rid of the mice by yourself using mice traps. However, you need to track the mice’s movement to know all the entry and exit points before placing the mice traps. It is challenging to know all the entries and exits without the help of a professional. It is still hard to get rid of the rodents, even if your mice trap works.
Therefore, calling a professional mice control company is much safer. Let the professionals deal with these small but intelligent and evasive rodents.
When to Hire a Mouse Exterminator?
Some people usually call a professional mouse exterminator after unsuccessfully trying to eliminate mice for one or two weeks. Many people are not always concerned if they see a mouse or two in their attic or basement. The mice are small, so it is easy to assume they will not cause any problem. However, you need to know that mice can spread dangerous diseases, parasites, and bacteria. A female mouse can give birth to 50-60 mice every year to spread quickly. Do not let the mice infest all your property. It is much better to act immediately.
What is the Best Season for Calling Mouse Exterminators?
It is essential to know that mice and their behavior can react to environmental changes, so they adjust their behavior to increase their survival chances. There is a decrease or increase in the mice population, depending on the season.
The house mice population increases in the late spring because the mice breeding begins in early spring. The new mice become physically mature in the late spring. It takes them 5-7 weeks to physically mature once they are born. That is why many people report the most sightings of mice around April to June. The chances of survival grow this season because of the rising temperatures and the increasing food sources.
However, mice seek food and shelter in our homes and other buildings as the natural food sources run out and the temperature falls. They also like to nest in buildings, including our homes. For this reason, there is a second increase in the population of mice and mice sightings between October and November. Many people will notice signs of mice and the nests of the mice in their homes during this time.
Taking advantage of the mice’s behavior changes and the seasonal peculiarities can increase your chances of successfully getting rid of the mice. It ensures you eliminate the mice from your house and that they will never come back. Hire a professional mice exterminator to develop a customized plan for controlling the mice invasion and mice population in your property.
Taking preventive measures is much better, even if you do not see the signs of mice nesting in your property at present. Winter is the best time to start. Do this during winter to reduce the number of mice in spring. The beasures you take help reduce the possibility of infestations next year.
You can receive double benefits by taking preventive measures against mice infestation during spring and summer. Firstly, you will not have trouble with the mice during the warm season since their population is supposed to be high during this time. Secondly, you will avoid mice infestation during autumn since the mice look for nesting places and shelter during this season.
Your home and other buildings need active measures and examination. You also need to take good care of your yard since it seems to attract mice. Trim your yard in the spring and summer and clear any debris in your yard during autumn and winter to effectively control a mice infestation.
What Do Exterminators Do?
For starters, they examine your property for the signs of mice infestation, such as identifying the type of rodent in your home and check for runs and entries. Secondly, they seal off every entry point, and they use mouse poison or set traps, depending on the scale of infestation.
How Do Exterminators Get Rid of Mice?
Upon calling a professional mouse exterminator, there are several procedures the exterminator will do highlighted below . Here are the things the mouse exterminator will do and why they are important:
Get Rid of Entry Points
Mice get into your home using small entry points. Several breeds of mice can fit into small holes, such as a dime. Therefore, you need to seal weak points, dents, or cracks, to prevent entry.
Firstly, a qualified mouse exterminator will check for easy entry points on the interior and exterior of your home. Then, they prevent mice from getting into your home by applying a sheet metal, hardware cloth, or wire mesh to the small entry points. Some of the entry points may even include your utility pipes and vents. Once the professional seals all the entry points, they advise on how to seal larger holes. (These are the holes with more than 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in a diameter).
As a DIY problem solver, do not use wood, rubber, plastic, or caulk seals in the entry points you will find. This is because the mice will gnaw through them. Use window gaps and weatherstripping for doors to create a seal against mice entry.
Set Up Mice Traps
Mouse exterminators can recommend setting up a few mouse traps around your property, especially if you caught a mice infestation early enough. When you call them, they set up different types of mouse traps around your basement, attic, bathrooms, and kitchen. You will use different types of mouse traps to catch different mice. Use different live capture types, such as snap traps, glue boards, etc., to control smaller populations. You do not have to add harmful chemicals to your property when using these traps.
However, the traps cannot eliminate the whole population if the population is large enough. That is why we will go to the next step.
Use Bait Stations
Bait stations are the same as traps. However, they provide easy access to poisoned food. The rodents die after eating the poisoned food. Several homeowners do not see the benefits of setting up bait stations. This is because they seem to attract more mice instead of killing them. However, they can kill the mice quickly, so they have an impressive effect on the colony or a nest.
Once the bait stations reduce the mice’s population, the exterminators can now track the mice to their nests. They will remove the bodies of the mice to prevent further infestation and odor problems. The smell from the dead rodents can affect your home.
Some companies do not even use mouse traps to eliminate the mice since they go straight to bait stations.
Fumigate for Mice
Mouse exterminators can call for fumigation to tackle severe infestations. A professional only carry out this control method. The exterminators use it as a last resort.
It is even illegal to use home fumigation in some places. You can only use fumigants in train cars, warehouses, grain storage structures, and outdoor burrows in these places.
If your home fumigation is legal in your place, you, your loved ones, and your pets will need to leave your home for a couple of days. This is because the exterminator will spray the poison inside your home. The exterminators use the poison to get rid of the entire population of mice inside your home.
Several exterminators use fumigation as a last resort. This is because home fumigation is dangerous and expensive. You need to thoroughly clean your surfaces and counters to ensure they are safe to use. Here are some things you need to know if you want to use home fumigation:
Tips for Preparing for Home Fumigation
- Ensure there is a place you and your family will stay
- You cannot stay in your home because it is full of poison. You will have to wait until your exterminator tells you it is safe to move back to your home.
- That is why you need to look for a place to stay. You can stay with your family or your close friends for a couple of days. You can even stay in a hotel if you cannot stay with your loved ones.
- You need to have the essentials since you will not stay in your home for a few days. You can bring extra clothes and the equipment you will need if you have to work. You can even ask your employer for a few days off.
- You can also plan to fumigate your home during your days off or on the weekends. You must check if your mouse exterminator works on the weekend.
- Arrange to turn off your gas.
You need to notify your gas company that you plan to fumigate your home. The gas company needs to turn off the gas before your home fumigation begins. Once it is safe to come back to your home, ask your gas company to turn on your gas. Your exterminator will tell you when it is safe to come back to your house.
Besides, you need to turn off or even unplug all air conditioning units and electric heaters before leaving your house. If you have pilot lights, you need to turn them off.
Do not close your interior doors.
Fumigation works much better if the gas spreads throughout your home. However, closed doors limit the spread of gas throughout your home. Closed doors can leave safe zones for the mice. The mice can protect themselves in these safe zones, defeating the purpose of home fumigation.
Open the doors that lead to attics, bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. The populations of the mice are usually high in these rooms. Do not close your drawers, closets, and cabinets.
Securely seal the consumables and food
You need to seal your food and consumables in air-tight containers if you plan to replace them. You need to double-bag all the items in your fridge to ensure they are safe to eat when you come back to your house.
If you have canned goods, ask the mice exterminator if they require extra protection. Sometimes, you may just need to wash them before use thoroughly.
Give your keys to your mouse exterminator
Your mouse exterminator needs complete access to your home. That is why you need to give them a copy of your house keys. The exterminator uses the keys during the treatment to enter and leave your house.
You need to plan with your exterminator to safely store your keys and easily pick them up when the exterminator completes fumigating your house.
What Chemicals Do Exterminators Use to Eliminate Mice?
It is possible to wonder what types of chemicals the mouse exterminator uses to fumigate your home. You will see some of these chemicals below. This is a list of the most common chemicals exterminators use in fumigation.
Magnesium Phosphide – It is usually converted into a powder. Introducing the powder into water produces a toxic gas.
Aluminum Phosphide – It fills the lungs with fluid, causing the respiratory system to fail.
Carbon Dioxide – It is mostly used against insects. It also effective against mice because of its mode of action. Releasing carbon dioxide in a confined space reduces breathable air, suffocating the animals inside the confide space. It does not leave chemical residue behind.
Methyl Bromide – It is mostly used in farming. It depletes ozone and is dangerous to humans because of its powerful toxin. That is why it is no longer manufactured, and its use is now limited. It will not be used for fumigation in the future.
Sulfuryl Fluoride – It disrupts the metabolism of the animal. If inhaled, it is dangerous to humans.
Chloropicrin – It is released as a liquid spray called aerosol. It was a chemical agent in World War I. It can contaminate food, so you cannot use it in agriculture.
Phosphine – It is sold as solid. The solid produces a toxic gas by reacting with moisture in the air. If a person inhales the toxic gas, it can be fatal. Even at low concentrations, it is explosive.
Methyl Isocyanate – It acts on the respiratory system, so it is toxic to all life. It is formed during rubber production. It is used in agriculture to fumigate the soil.
1,3-Dichloropropene – If an animal or person inhales or eats it, it can be toxic. It also irritates the skin. Remember that the use of this chemical has been limited in some places. It is usually used in agriculture.
Hydrogen Cyanide – It is a unique property, which is it boils at room temperature. It easy to detect because of its almond scent. It disrupts the respiratory system, killing the animal. It is corrosive on contact because it is an acid.
Formaldehyde – It causes death in rodents by affecting cell growth and division.
Tips for Choosing the Best Mice Exterminators
Do your due diligence to ensure you are choosing a professional team. Do proper research to create a list of the best companies. Once you have a list of these companies, call them and ask them the following questions:
- Do you have some plans for preventing mice return?
- Do you offer a guarantee?
- How will you get rid of the dead mice?
- How many visits do your mice exterminators need to complete the job?
- What methods do you use to kill mice?
- Do you visit homes for free estimation?
- You need to ask them to visit your home for an expert assessment before you hire them. They should visit you before giving you an estimate.
Last but not least, you need to consider the price before you choose a mouse exterminator. You should know that cheap mouse exterminators may not offer the best services. Pay more to protect your home from mice infestations in the future. For example, your mouse exterminator will fix any holes and cracks to stop the mice from coming again. You will save much more money, effort, and time in the future if you pay for them once.
Possible Problems with Mouse Exterminators
Calling mouse exterminators is one of the most effective ways of getting rid of rodents. However, some of these mouse exterminators can become a problem. Sometimes, mouse exterminators cannot guarantee a 100% successful result due to the reasons below:
- How much it costs
- Not doing disinfection from mice bacteria and germs
- They use penetrable materials
- They do not locate all the access points
- They do not fully treat infected areas
- They do not completely exterminate the mice
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Mice Exterminator?
The cost of hiring a mouse exterminator depends on the location, the scale of infestation, and the house’s size. The price varies between $40 and $300. This price does not include the additional fees for repairing damaged wires and pipes. It is not cost-effective to hire a mice exterminator for such a price if you only deal with one or more mice. However, it is necessary to get rid of a bug infestation.
The price also varies depending on the mice exterminator, but you need to the following three main principles in mind:
- Every situation is different, so there is no price for every case.
- Do not expect a great job from a cheap company since the job’s quality depends on the price.
- This kind of work requires liability and licensing because it is highly specialized.
Nobody wants to spend too much money on these companies. However, everyone wants the company to do the job properly. There are several things you need to know. Firstly, you need to know that reputable companies spend more money on several business expenses, including liability insurance, licensing, and much more, so they are more likely to charge more money to cover their business expenses. Secondly, you may end up paying more in the future if you decide to hire the cheapest mice exterminators for the first time. Do not ignore mice problems because they can cause damages to your property and increase health risks in your home. Mouse extermination is an investment in your safety and the safety of your property.