Dealing With Mice

House mice are most commonly found invading your property during the winter months. They are extremely difficult to keep out due to their amazing ability to climb and fit through the smallest holes, even as tiny as the width of a pen. Once they have entered your home they will become a nuisance and will require action to remove them from your property.

Key Facts:

• Common Name: House mouse
• Scientific Name: Mus domesticus
• Areas Affected: These rodents are commonly found in your house, residing in wall cavities, under floors and in lofts. Due to the ease of movement they have, they can access all areas of your home and enter any root they can find an entry point for
• Main signs of infestation: Key signs that you may have a problem with mice are visible droppings, noticeable chewing on food or soft materials like cardboard boxes, scrabbling noises in the walls/roof and actual sightings.
• Most active: Mice will happily live in your home all year round due to warmth and availability of food, but they are most likely to enter when the temperature drops in the autumn and they need somewhere to live and nest over the winter.

Have you got a problem with mice?

Mice are nocturnal and will spend very little time out in the day or in a lit area. They will also never reveal themselves from their hiding place if they can hear you nearby. One of the first things you are likely to notice are the droppings. These will be around the size of half a grain of rice. Mice leave droppings as they move around with the majority of these being left inside cavities and roof spaces where you won't be able to see them. Sometimes droppings are found in places such as the back of cupboards or on worktops in the kitchen where they have been hunting for food. Kickboards beneath worktops are a good place to check for droppings if you suspect you have mice as this will be a likely ingress point and good hiding place.

As well as this, mice will constantly chew on things to file down their teeth and gather materials to create nests with. Things that you will commonly see being chewed on by mice would be cardboard, wires, insulation, carpet and even corners of furniture. Noticing anything that has been nibbled in small areas indicates a mouse problem - rats will be far more noticeable as they will have chewed larger areas.

If you are noticing that there is noise coming from the roof then it is worth having a look in your loft space as this will help you see if you have a mouse problem in there. You will most likely be able to see mouse footprints and tail marks if it is dusty up there. As well as this, there will be droppings littered around the area especially in the edges of the space.

How to control mice?

• Make sure that kitchen areas are kept tidy and that any food is put away in thick plastic tubs or metal tins
• Ensure all rubbish is kept in secure bins and empty boxes are taken outside to recycling bins as soon as possible
• Tidy cupboard spaces as mice like having messy areas to hide in
• If you find that you have any small holes in the external brickwork of your property, seal these off to prevent any mice from entering

Rodent Control Products Available At ProGreen

We have a range of products that are ideal for controlling a mouse infestation whether you are looking for professional or non-professional grade rodenticides. When using these products it is important that they are placed in a secure bait box so they are safe and away from potential consumption by children or other non-target animals.

Explore our range of rodenticides that are ideal for controlling mice.

We offer a Level 2 Rodent Management Course which will allow you to purchase professional grade bait. As well as this, the course provides you with the knowledge you will need for controlling rodents, their behavioural patterns and different baiting strategies.