Get Rid Of Mice & Rats

The first step to solving any rodent problem is to know if it's rats or mice you're up against. You need to be sure you have a mouse problem and not a rat infestation. Steps towards solving the problem will vary depending on which species has invaded your home or business.

Since both rats and mice are nocturnal creatures; it's unlikely you'll actually see either during the day Although, if seen in daylight, mice are easy to identify. Compared to rats mice are much smaller in size. Mice have longer, thinner tails covered in fur with small, round ears.

Knowing the difference between rats and mice will help save you time, money and heartache.

Rodent Identification

Both mice and rats are nocturnal creatures and are rarely seen in daylight. Rats and mice often forage for food over night, when most residents of the house are sleeping. Even if you do catch sight or sound of a rodent invader, it might only be for a second or two not leaving enough time to identify the species correctly.

Mice are smaller than rats and have larger ears. Mice will have gray or brown fur with white bellies. The head of a mouse is triangular with long whiskers. Mice have long tails with hair.

Rats are larger than mice and leave behind larger droppings. Rats may be black, gray or brown with white stomachs. The head a rat is more blunt in appearance when compared to a mouse Rats have tails that are pinkish, long, and hairless.

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Rodent Behavior

In general, both rats and mice are shy preferring to hide. Mice and rats are both nocturnal, only venturing away from their nests at night. Although rats and mice are known to walk around in dirty places, rats, tend to leave greasy marks on walls and along baseboards where they travel back and forth each night.

Mice and rats seek out warm, secluded places to nest, find food and birth their young. Mice and rats both give birth to several young therefore starting an infestation in a any type of structure quickly! Rats and mice seek out food around the property while chewing their way through storage containers, wood or drywall.

Mice and rats have sharp teeth that continually grow, so they gnaw and chew on things. Rats are well-known for chewing through electrical wires and small plumbing lines.

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Preventing Rodents

The most effective rat and mouse control begins with prevention. Trash should be disposed of properly, and in a sanitary manner. Sanitation practices must be maintained. Human as well as pet food must be kept in sealed containers. Standing water and moisture leaks should be repaired. Man-placed rodent shelters such as wood piles and overgrown weedy areas should be eliminated.

The most effective form control measure for rats and mice is to limit food, water, shelter, and access to structures. Rats and mice are both able to squeeze through holes that appear much too small for them. Preventing rodents begins by following steps outlined at the bottom of this page.

f you're frightened or unsure about mice invading your property, Gladhill Services offers the easiest and most reliable solutions for rodent problems.  We provide a quick, 100% guaranteed service to rid your home or business of rats and mice. 

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Rodent Proofing Tips

• Seal all entry points such as sewers, cracks, crevices, and air vents.
• Repair or replace damaged screens around the foundation and under eaves
• Install a tightly-fitted access panel or door for the crawl space.
• Seal all openings around pipes, cables, and wires that enter through walls or the foundation. 
• Be sure that windows are screened and that screens are in good condition.
• Cover rooftop plumbing vent pipes with screens.
• Make sure exterior doors are tightly fitted with weatherproofing at bottoms.

Get Rid Of Mice Like A Boss

The successful elimination of a house mouse or mice begins with your choice of approach. Getting rid of a house mouse can be as simple as making a call to a pest professional but,  if you feel you have what it takes to confront what many fear then, keep reading. In general, mice are harmless alone but, they can bite, they can spread some disease, and, they can certainly make a mess of things inside the home with their urine and feces, especially when near foods you may have in the pantry. 

When it comes to mice invading your home, you have three choices. You can:
1) learn how to catch a mouse,
2) learn how to kill a mouse, or
3) learn how to prevent them from entering your house to begin with. 

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1. Rodent Proofing 101

Rodent-proofing your home is the most effective way to get rid of a house mouse or prevent the infestation of mice in your home. The easiest way to avoid mice in your home is by eliminating the areas they enter. Without a trained eye, this may prove to be difficult at times since mice have the ability to squeeze into tiny cracks no more than a quarter inch in size. In other words, if you can fit a pencil in it, a mouse can get through it. The majority of these entry points are found around the exterior of the home at or near ground level.

Sealing these small cracks in the foundation and block portions of your home will prevent mice from getting inside as the temperatures begin cooling. Openings in the ground level of your home, as well as basement walls are good areas to inspect, especially where utility pipes and ventilation are installed. Steel wool works very well in these areas. Simply take a screw driver and begin pushing pieces of the steel wool inside until the hole or crack is full. Unless you want the mice to come back, avoid using rubber, plastic, caulking, or even wood plugs because mice will chew their way right through. Install a weather strip on your doors and seal any window gaps to help. 

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2. Baiting 101

Now, if you feel that your home is sealed tightly yet, you still suspect a mouse or two inside there are other ways to go about the elimination process. Be it a single house mouse or multiple mice you can use some type of food product for bait. The traditional foods such as chocolate, peanut butter, bacon, or oatmeal works fine. When you're ready to begin baiting, you will need a standard snap trap. In order to be effective, you'll need to secure the bait to the trigger pad of the snap trap. This may be done with dental floss or even fishing line. If you do not secure the bait to the trigger pad of the trap chances are your mouse will get a free snack and run off into the night freely escaping the death that surely awaited it.

You can easily place peanut butter on the trigger pad as the mouse will need time to get it all in his or her belly - just enough time to get nailed by your trap. It's ok because most people feel the snap trap is humane as the mice never truly knew what hit them. Obviously, this is the general opinion of people. We haven't heard anything from the local mice to date. 

You can purchase sealed packets of pellets or granules of poison to place in areas of mouse activity. The mice find the bait, eat it then, die in the shadows more often than not. There are even weighted containers you can place bait in around the exterior of homes to eliminate mice and other rodent issues. These are typically left in the hands of professionals with experience and reserved for places routinely hit with rodent activity though. 

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3. Trapping Like A Champ

The best way to get rid of mice in an ongoing infestation is with traps. There are several types of traps sold on the market for this purpose - some work well while others are just not worth a dime. The best part of traps is that they are non-toxic, they kill the mouse instantly instead of poisoning, and once caught they are easily disposed of before they begin rotting and smell. The classic wooden snap traps work well, but keep in mind that most people do not like the mess they can make. Baiting the trigger pads can be difficult as well.

Glue boards are another non-toxic and environmentally friendly way to catch mice and other rodents. Glue boards are simply a small to large piece of cardboard with one side full of a thick gel-like glue. While many people feel this is not as humane as a snap trap, glue boards are easily placed, silent, do not make a mess of blood and other possible rodent fluids, and do allow for easy disposal of mice. Tin Cats are a metal box with a one-way door installed for mice to enter only. Once inside these traps, a mouse cannot get out. They do not require any kill or baiting at all. When you find a mouse in the trap you simply set it free outside as it will come back in later. So, you can see how effective they are at times. Again, experienced pest professionals know how to handle and eliminate mice caught in these types of traps. Not very advisable for the home owner who doesn't like killing small rodents. 

4. Think Like A Mouse

If you haven't decided to call a professional or begin excluding entry points in the home let us back up and understand that mice are a form of wildlife. When temperatures drop to freezing they seek out food and shelter just as any animal or person would do. It just happens that the heat, light and food you have inside your house appeals to them. Can you blame them? Their small size and natural abilities to adapt make them a popular pest especially during the winter months. Sealing any possible entry points is key to successfully eliminating, ridding or ending any type of rodent issue. Baiting with snap traps does end a mouse problem quickly if done correctly. If done wrong... well... the problem doesn't get any better and at times, may get worse with a female mouse inside. 

During the warmer months it's a good idea to keep your lawn and landscape maintained by removing debris and lawn refuse. Move your compost pile far away from the house and any piles of leaf or lawn clippings. Keep your weeds to a minimum and fill in any burrows that might be visible to your eye. This discourages rodents from coming back. Replacing your mulch with gravel also helps discourage mice from entering around the foundation when cooler temps follow. Try elevating your garbage containers off the ground. Some blogs say to wrap your garbage in tightly sealed plastic bags but remember that the teeth of rodents are very sharp and plastic is no match for them - they will chew right through it hence elevation. Raising your containers six inches off the ground is enough to keep mice and rats at bay. And finally, keep your house clean and free of crumbs littering the kitchen floor. 

Don't Allow These Four Pests In Your Home This Winter

When winter falls upon the land, most pests go into a deep state of hibernation but, there are a few pests that begin entering homes seeking out warmth and food for those long, dark winter months. Pest professionals freely advise homeowners to take precautionary measures against winter pests such as mice, rats, cockroaches and spiders for good reason. Follow our quick guide below and learn how to easily prevent these four winter pests from entering your home. 

Mice

Mice are likely the most popular pest during winter months. The common house mouse will usually nest in dark out of the way areas. Attics, basements, and crawl spaces are very ideal for them to hold up in during the winter months. If left undisturbed, mice can cause property damage. Mice can chew directly through drywall and thin layers of wood. They can bite on electrical wiring causing sparks and electrical fires. Mice are also capable of contaminating stored food products and spread diseases like salmonella as they go from one bag or box of food to the next. 
Our quick tips:

• Seal up cracks and crevices on the outside of the home with steel wool.
• Keep areas free of clutter since mice like to hide in tight spaces.
• Inspect your home for signs of mice like their droppings, chew marks and damaged food containers.

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Rats

Rats will often nest in basements, mounds of debris, and piles of undisturbed materials. Rats will typically gnaw through almost anything  including plastic and pipes to obtain food and water. Like mice, rats are vectors of diseases, making them a serious threat to public health at times.
 

Our quick tips:

• Since rats can fit through holes as small as half an inch, inspect your home for gaps and cracks. If found, fill with steel wool.
• Eliminate moisture in crawl spaces and basements. Check to see that pipes and other such utility lines are secure.
• Inspect your home for signs of rats including rub marks caused by oil in a rats fur, droppings, urine, and gnaw marks.

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German Cockroach

German cockroaches are one of the most common roaches found in commercial and residential buildings throughout the world. German roaches prefer living in cracks and crevices close to food and water making the kitchens and bathrooms of homes a perfect habitat for them. German cockroaches will enter the home via paper and plastic bags from groceries, boxes from deliveries, and secondhand (or rented) appliances. German roaches can and will, if let go, contaminate food and spread bacteria, as well as certain human pathogens. Most startling and according to the CDC, cockroaches inside the home are considered allergens, and can exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, especially in children.

Our quick tips:           

• Keep your counters and floors clean and wiped free of food debris.
• Vacuum your home frequently and take out the garbage regularly.
• Focus hard cleaning efforts in your kitchen and bathrooms with added attention under appliances and sinks. 

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Spiders

Some spiders prefer spinning their webs in undisturbed locations inside the home. Closets, attics, and basements are likely areas within the home where spiders remain throughout winter months. Some spiders, like the brown recluse may be found inside cardboard boxes brought into the home during the holiday season. Black widows, typically found within or on objects dark in color, may be brought inside the home too during this time. Spiders tend to tuck themselves away near and along window frames, in the corners of rooms, and in seldom-used shoes hidden in the back of closets. All spiders have venom but the brown recluse and black widow may bite making them a danger to both children and adults.

Our quick tips:           

• Trim trees and shrubs away from your house and cut limbs that overhang your roof.
• Store seldom-used items in plastic containers since spiders like to hide inside almost anything undisturbed.
• If you suspect you have been bitten by a spider seek medical attention as soon as possible because infections may occur. 

Prevent Mice & Rats

Mice enter buildings in search of food and shelter. They search for food source and quiet areas to nest. By removing food sources and sealing up small entry points, mice will be less likely to enter your home or business when the weather turns cooler. Mice are not picky eaters and are typically found feeding on scraps and leftovers which can harbor harmful bacteria. So, by reducing food wastes will decrease the possibility of mice spreading diseases such as Salmonella or Hantavirus.

The first step to solving a rodent problem is to know what which rodent you're dealing with. In this case, you need to be sure you have mice and not a rat(s) or any other rodent infestation such as voles or moles. As rodents are nocturnal, it may be unlikely that you'll actually spot a live rodent during the day. However, if you do, mice are easy to identify. When compared to rats, mice are smaller in size; they have longer, thinner tails with fur, and have smaller, rounder ears.

Knowing how to identify mice from rats and becoming familiar with the signs of a mouse problem is critical to controlling or eliminating an infestation. This is where a professional can really help. Correct identification by Gladhill Services will help you choose the most affordable control method without any worry.