Various rodent species infest people’s homes throughout the year. They are some of the most dangerous pests to graze the American household and the yearly number of infestations is around 20 million. That’s an insanely high number when you consider the population of the US (more than 5% of homes get infested).
People often find themselves at a disadvantage; not knowing how to deal with an infestation of any magnitude (let alone the bigger ones). Most people figured out that mice infestations are relatively easier to deal with, but even they can be a problem.
The issue lies in the lack of knowledge regarding pest removal and dealing with rodent infestations. Some people call the exterminator right away, even if the infestation doesn’t warrant such a reaction. Others turn to the Internet or their friends in the hopes of gathering enough info on how to deal with mice infestation. The truth is, all it takes is a little bit of knowledge, resources, equipment, and you’re good to go. Let’s see what you can do to solve a rodent infestation:
The Use of Traps
Traps are the most common method of removing mice or rats from your home. They range from the classical snap trap to electronic traps that instantly kill the mice. There’s a wide variety of them and your choice depends on your preference and the current situation in your home.
We recommend getting around 4-6 snap traps with one or two catch & release traps. This combination has been proven to be effective and useful, but if you don’t want to kill the mice, catch & release traps will do the trick (as long as you use bait that works).
Speaking of bait:
What Bait Should I Use?
If you don’t opt for the poison route (which is often seen as controversial and can be dangerous to you, your family, and your pets if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing), you’ll have to find some great bait yourself. See, poison is basically bait in and of itself since it needs to attract the rodents.
On the other hand, most rodent traps don’t come with bait that was prepared beforehand. Some of the best bait options are peanut butter (you can make it at home as well), chocolate, and bird seed. However, since you’re interested in dealing with the infestation as fast as possible, pick either chocolate or peanut butter (small amounts will do just fine).
What Next?
Well, once the mice are caught and dealt with, you should start fixing your home. Basically, you need to seal off all entry points, improve overall hygiene, don’t let crumbs and food stay in the open (seal all your food in containers so the mice can’t get to it), and light up dark areas.
Rodents love darker places since the lack of light offers some sort of protection. Also, if there’s an open stream of water somewhere near your home (or inside), close it up. Rodents invade homes because of water, access to food and shelter, and warmth during the colder months.