Although this is probably not what you wanted to hear, we’re here to tell you that mice are most likely on their way to your kitchen.
Why? Well, while most of us like to assume our homes are far too tidy and clean to ever attract rodents, the sad truth is, it doesn’t take that much to appeal to a mouse.
Even the tiniest crumb or speck of misplaced food will have mice coming in under the kitchen sink, and you tearing your hair out, not knowing how to handle that.
Fortunately, we’re here to help. In today’s post, we’ll discuss the why and how of a mouse infestation, and what you can do about it.
First Things First, What’s Attracting Mice to Your Kitchen?
Well, like most other home intruders of the furry kind, mice are primarily looking for three things: food, water, and shelter.
And chances are, your home offers at least one of these plentifully. And the one that comes to mind is shelter – of course, your home offers that since that’s what it’s meant to do for you.
So here, mice are wont to find plenty of warmth and a dry, cozy spot to nestle during the winter or avoid the summer heat.
While the kitchen is the main attraction of your home, chances are the mouse won’t set up shop right there (although there are some nooks and crannies, like underneath the sink, that are worth keeping an eye on).
Rather, a mouse will pick the less obvious hiding places like inside the wall, or up in the attic, and only scurry into the kitchen when it’s looking for food (which is quite often, for a mouse). This brings us to the main attraction point: the food.
Again, though you may be convinced that your home is clean enough, it only takes very little to attract a mouse.
A handful of crumbs carelessly dropped on the floor, a forgotten pet food bowl or even some food left out is enough to attract the rodent. Mouse removal services like A+ Animal Solutions are frequently called to clean, respectable houses that are bombarded by an incessant mouse problem.
Why? Because mice are resilient, resourceful creatures – if there’s even the tiniest chance of them getting some food out of you, they’ll take it.
So it’s time for you to step up your cleaning game. Pay attention to your food storage system, and try not to leave food outside in the open any longer than necessary, or while you’re not there.
Seal foods and ingredients in airtight containers, so as not to attract pests to your pantry.
Also, make sure you vacuum, sweep, and mop the floors regularly, to eliminate any food traces or accidental spills that might be appealing to rodents.
Last but not least, it’s possible that mice are attracted to your home because they’ve identified an easy water source within it.
This can be a pet water bowl, an outside irrigation system, a bird bath, a pond, or a leaky pipe. The truth is, there’s an abundance of things that may serve as water sources to a mouse, whose necessities aren’t all that huge, to begin with.
A mouse will live on very little, which makes it fairly difficult to keep at bay.
Mice Removal Options
So if you’re cleaning the house as best as you can, and you’re not leaving any open entry spaces (e.g. open doors, windows, cracks in the wall, etc.), and yet are still struggling with a mouse invasion, it’s time to bring out the big guns.
Some people are keen to try DIY mouse removal, using live traps – if you feel that’s for you, we recommend that you visit mousetrapping.org to learn about mice traps.
However, bear in mind that DIY mouse removal may or may not be efficient, or may require multiple attempts.
This is why it’s more efficient to hire a professional wildlife removal service to take care of a persistent mouse problem.
Not only will they remove the mouse itself, but they’ll also clear up the damage caused by the rodent, and advise you on ways to prevent future invasions.
