(Article courtesy of MissouriNet.)
With temperatures dropping homeowners are getting some unwelcome guests for the winter.
University of Missouri Extension state wildlife and fisheries specialist Bob Pearce told Missourinet that it is time to get prepared to keep rodents out of your home.
University of Missouri Extension state wildlife and fisheries specialist Bob Pearce. Photo courtesy of University of Missouri.
“They’re looking for a place where they can have safety, but also access to food sources,” said Pearce. “And I think it just boils down to just observing the property, looking around your home, your foundation, looking for any entrance holes that might come through the wiring of your home.”
Pearce also told Missourinet that if a mouse or a rat does gain access to your home this is one of the best ways to get rid of it.
“A typical mouse snap trap. I mean, they’re cheap and effective and they work,” said Pearce. “I tend not to recommend using rodenticides or toxic baits inside an area, as if the mice consume those baits, they’ll die within the home possibly or behind a wall and really create a real nasty odor for a period of time.”
Pearce suggests using a little bit of peanut butter as bait on the snap trap, with cheese and fruit as good options as well.
He said if the mice do enter your home, it is important to address it fairly quickly as they multiply rapidly.
“They can have a litter of four to six young or even larger litters, and they can do so every month during the year,” said Pearce. “If you do have some issues where you have a large problem, you might need to call a professional certified exterminator, but most times homeowners and folks can take care of the problem themselves.”
Pearce said the good news is that mice don’t ordinarily have long lifespans. However, even a few of them in your home can cause lots of problems.
