With Winter coming up, rodents throughout Britain will be looking to head inside for shelter. This means that there is a good chance that you will see some mice running around your property at one point or another over the coming months.
In this blog post, we will provide you with some information which will help you to trap mice within your home.
We should add, dealing with one or two mice might be possible, but an infestation of a few members should absolutely be left to professionals.
Additionally, they are incredibly crafty, and they might evade your traps despite all of your efforts. If you are having trouble, contact us immediately on 0131 322 1291.
Where Should I Place Mouse Traps?
Regardless of the trap you employ, the best place is to place them against a wall; preferably one that you know the mouse travels along. The lethal of the trap should be the section against the wall so that the mouse is encouraged to walk over it.
This is because mice, and in fact, rats, travel in a very specific and skittish way. They cling to the wall and follow the same routes, and by taking advantage of this, we can make sure that the traps are directly in their path.
They may not enter and trigger the trap on their first trip past, however. Whenever something ‘new’ enters their environment, they will become very wary of it and might just run around it instead.
However, by being patient and giving the mouse time to take the chance, it will eventually trigger the trap and no longer be a problem in your property.
What Is the Best Bait for Mouse Traps?
This is an ongoing controversy within the pest control world. Everyone has their own idea and anecdotal stories about which is the most effective food for luring the small rodents in.
The truth is, there are one hundred different foods which will all do the job very well. Probably more, in fact. However, we have tried to condense the list down to just a few super effective options:
- Peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
- Chocolate or chocolate spread
- Smelly soft cheese
- Wet cat or dog food
- Nuts and Seeds
Any mixture of the above substances can also be used to, perhaps, even greater effect. For example, you might want to try mixing some seeds and chocolate spread for bait. Not only do they love chocolate, but they are used to eating seeds in the wild.
Mouse-Proofing Your Home
Once the mouse problem is dealt with, there are many steps you can take to make your home less accessible or attractive to mice and rats.
Firstly, you can seal off many gaps and holes in the exterior of your home in order to give rodents, and pests generally, fewer access points. There are many ways of doing this, including:
- Wire mesh with spackle
- Silicon sealants
- Wooden panels
However, there these steps should only be taken after the infestation has been dealt with. This is incredibly important and cannot be overstated.
Firstly, for the traps to be effective, it is crucial that the rat’s regular habits are not disrupted. They need to be able to enter and leave as normal, so that they are comfortable and take reliable and predictable routes.
Secondly, you do not want to seal them into a nook or cranny which they cannot get out of. Eventually, they will die if they cannot find another way out and, naturally, will begin to decompose.
When this happens, many people start to notice a very unpleasant smell within their home or property but cannot for the life of them work out where it is coming from.
It is difficult to make sure that each and every gap that a pest can exploit is sealed, especially in older homes, but you can make a difference. Just make sure you do it when you know, or are relatively sure, that you are mouse and rat free.
Additionally, contact us today for all of your proofing needs. Our technicians are very experienced in spotting potential access areas that others might not notice.
Get in Touch
If you are having mouse trouble within your home, or indeed any other form of pest problems, give us a call now on 0131 322 1291.
Alternatively, complete our contact form, and one of our sales representatives will be in touch as soon as possible.
