A question you may be asking is “How do exterminators get rid of mice?”
Mice are some of the most common pests that homeowners deal with across the world. Mice will invade, nest within your kitchen, attic, crawl space and walls, and eat your food. Calling pest control experts like Summit Pest Control is the best way to solve your problem.
Common Types of Mice in Northern Virginia
There are multiple species of mouse that are commonly found nesting within homes in the Northern Virginia area.
The most common mouse you may run into is the appropriately named house mouse. House mice are not native to Virginia, and were brought to this country by settlers from Europe. The house mouse can be about five to eight inches long, with gray fur and beady eyes. This species has large ears and a long, hairless tail. These mice also have poor eyesight, but great senses of hearing and smell, which allows them to identify your house as a potential source of food, water and shelter.
The second most common mouse that may make your house its home is the deer mouse. Unlike house mice, deer mice are native to Virginia. The Deer mouse can have brown or gray fur, but their most distinctive feature is their white underside and feet. This species of mouse will nest in houses in more rural areas, and will avoid cities without wooded areas nearby.
Types of Mice Damage in Northern Virginia
While some people think mice are cute, with some species of mice even being sold as pets, mice are still destructive pests that you don’t want in your house. Mice have teeth that never stop growing, and in order to keep their teeth under control, they will gnaw incessantly on any materials they can find, including support beams, wooden structures, and the rubber covering on wires. When they chew through this rubber, the exposed wires can cause a fire and burn down your house.
Mice will also leave their urine and feces everywhere, which can spread diseases like hantavirus to you and your family. Mice can also transmit salmonella by running across countertops. Mice will invade your pantry to gain access to grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables. They will gnaw through paper boxes and plastic bags, so sealing your food in airtight containers is the best way to keep mice from getting to it. Mice can also carry fleas and ticks, which can transmit their own diseases.
House mice and deer mice will also make their nests within walls, damaging the inside. They love to nest within attic insulation, which most often requires replacement, which can be costly. These pests will also take any kind of paper they can find within your house and shred it into nesting, making it difficult to keep paper products around the house.
Integrated Mice Control
The approach pest control technicians most often take is called integrated pest control. This approach is named after the process of integrating multiple forms of pest control and prevention to not only rid your house of pests like mice, but to also keep them from coming back.
One of the most important parts of integrated pest control is knowing how and why the mice get in. Mice are drawn to food, water and shelter, and human homes provide all of the above for them. Mice can get food from your kitchen and pantry, water from leaks or sinks, and shelter deep within walls, crawl spaces and attics, where they can be safe from their predators (unless you have pet cats!). Mice can squeeze through holes as small as a dime, so a huge part of integrated pest control is locating the house’s entry points. Once the house’s entry points are located, they can be sealed, keeping the mice from getting back in. Keeping all your food sealed in airtight containers will also help eliminate a food source for the mice, which will make your home less attractive to them.
Trapping the mice is a very effective way of getting rid of mice. Exterminators will often strategically place snap traps (what you most often think of when you think of mice traps) or glue traps around high traffic areas for mice. Some high traffic areas for mice include attics and crawl spaces, but they can also include kitchens, pantries and basements.
Bait stations with rodenticide are the single most effective way of getting rid of large mice populations. Bait stations are moderately sized structures with entrances for mice that have poisoned food inside, the mice will often eat it and then bring it back to their colonies and poison them.
Fumigation is another method that exterminators can use to get rid of mice, but this method is deployed far less due to its severity. Fumigation is a last resort, as trapping and bait stations will usually do the trick with mice infestations.
Integrated pest control combines preventative measures, sealing entry points, trapping and bait stations to rid your house of the mice infestation. If you need mice extermination services or any other pest control services, call Summit Pest Control at (757) 901-4455 or fill out a contact form.
Can Exterminators Get Rid of Mice Permanently?
No pest control solutions are 100% effective. There’s always a chance that a mouse might slip through the cracks. However, implementing an integrated pest control treatment including seal outs will certainly remove the pest population you have currently, as well as deter future populations from seeing your house as a viable home.
How Fast Can an Exterminator Get Rid of Mice?
The speed of mice extermination depends entirely on your specific situation and level of infestation. Some treatments can be done within a few days to a week, if there’s only a few mice living within the house. However, if your problem has progressed to a full blown infestation, it can take up to a month or two. Another factor that determines speed of treatment is where the mice have decided to make their nests. If the mice are in your kitchen, pantry, basement or crawl space, then treatment will be quicker. However, if the mice have burrowed deep within your walls or attic, removing them will be difficult and may take longer. Insulation soiled by the mice will have to be removed and replaced. Removing the bodies of the mice will take longer if the infestation is larger.
Contact Summit Pest Control, Northern Virginia’s Best Exterminator for Mice
Exterminating mice is a process that depends on your level of infestation, and can include trapping, bait stations and rodenticide. If you need mice extermination, rodent control, or any other type of pest control, contact Summit Pest Control at (757)-901-4455 or fill out a contact form.
