When mice inside my home

Mice and rats, I have seen them scamper away from a house but why ??

• Remove dog droppings daily and feed pets away from vegetation and harborage areas. Do not leave pet food out overnight.
• Trim tree limbs and high plants six feet away from roof, attic vents, eaves, and utility lines. Thin ivy and other thick vegetation, and leave clearance beneath bushes to prevent harborage for rodents.
• Remove old vehicles and non-salvageable items from property.
• Use 1/4 inch galvanized hardware cloth for vent and crawl space screens. Frames should fit properly with no gaps at the edges.
• Repair all plumbing leaks.
• Install door sweeps or weather stripping on all exterior doors. Close all openings greater than 1/4 inch to exclude rodents.
• Bait stations can be made out of 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon plastic containers, such as bleach bottles, and placed in trees for roof rats. Cut two holes in container on opposite sides, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Secure in place with wire to avoid spillage. Place bait in container and replenish for 10 to 14 days or until no new signs of rats are observed. The label from the pesticide pack-age should be attached to the plastic container.
• Clean and organize garage and storage buildings. Make certain doors close properly.
• Avoid double fencing. It provides space for rodent harborage.
• Elevate stored items at least 18 inches above ground and 12 inches from walls and fences.
• Seal gaps around pipes entering walls with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, sheet metal, concrete, or mortar.
• Screen openings at intersecting roof eaves and where chimney intersects roof.
• Dispose of trash properly.
• Remove and properly discard ripe and fallen fruits and vegetables.

Rat sources

Sanitation

Conducted for the control of rats or mice involves both the eradication of any food source for the rats or mice as well as the elimination of all harborage areas. One of the most prominent food sources for rats is garbage. The routine storage of all garbage and rubbish in rodent-proof containers is a vital aspect of any rat control program. A sufficient number of receptacles must be provided to hold all garbage and rubbish that normally accumulates between collection days. The receptacles should be rust resistant, water tight, and have tight-fitting lids. The interior of receptacles can be kept free of organic buildup by placing all garbage in plastic bags and tightly sealing them before placing them in the rubbish receptacles. This practice also effectively reduces fly breeding and odors.

Other food sources in and around the home include fruits and nuts which have not been harvested or that have fallen from trees, garden vegetables and berries left to rot on plants, bird seed which falls from feeders and accumulates on the ground, snails, and dog droppings not properly disposed of in the trash.
A frequent source of food for rats or mice is pet food which is not completely consumed or left out overnight. Outdoor pets should be fed only what they can readily consume at each feeding. Food dishes should be placed away from vegetation in clear areas which can be kept clean. Pet food and wild bird seed stored outdoors or in garages should be kept in metal containers
with tight-fitting lids.

Elimination of harborage

Where rats or mice hide or nest is a critical step in any successful rodent control program. Abandoned vehicles and other cast off items such as old furniture or unused appliances and equipment should be removed from the property. Tall grass, mature brush, ivy and other dense ground plants, and untrimmed shrubbery provide excellent
harborage for rodents. Residents should sufficiently thin ground plants, trim shrubbery to allow at least 12 inches of open area beneath plants, and remove dead fronds from the trunks of palm trees. Trees in contact with structures should have limbs trimmed a minimum of 6 feet from roofs, attic vents, eaves, and utility wires. The dead space between double fencing at property lines not only provides excellent harborage for rats or mice but makes maintenance of fences difficult. This practice is unadvisable and should be corrected. Broken and fallen board fences and crumbling brick walls provide harborage and should be repaired. Fire wood and stored salvageable articles must be elevated a minimum of 18 inches above ground and stored 12 inches from walls and fences. Garages should be cleaned out and stored items organized and elevated.

Rat proofing

Rat proofing

A building consists of changing structural details to deny mice or rats access to the interior of the building. Openings as small as 1/4 inch can admit mice, and a gap of 1/2 inch will permit young rats to enter a structure. Windows should be in good repair, and doors should fit snugly in frames or be fitted with sweeps or channels to eliminate openings at thresholds. Garage doors should also fit properly within the frame and be fitted with a channel if the base does not fit tightly with the floor.
Foundation and attic vents must be screened with heavy mesh or 16 to 20 gauge galvanized hardware cloth, preferably with a sheet metal frame. Any access to crawl spaces beneath structures should be properly screened or securely covered, permitting no gaps at the edges of the frame. Openings around pipes or conduits must be covered with sheet metal patches or filled with concrete or brick and mortar. Gaps at intersecting roof eaves or where the chimney intersects the roof must be repaired or screened.
Evidence of mice or rats can be determined by one or a combination of specific signs. When in the home, mice or rats can frequently be heard gnawing on wood or climbing between the walls. They also emit squeaks and can sometimes be heard fighting over food or mates. Droppings can be found along frequently traveled paths, near nesting sites, among food caches, or other areas the mice or rats frequent. The odor of wet or dry urine may also be present in these areas. Footprints or tail marks may be observed on dusty surfaces.
Dogs or cats may excitedly probe an area of floor or wall, or any other harborage site, especially if the mice or rats have recently invaded the area. Rub marks may be found on vertical surfaces such as walls or entrance and exit sites, where dirt and oil from rat fur leave darkened patches or streaks.
Mice or rats gnaw on a variety of materials such as aluminum, mortar, plastic, and lead. Tooth marks or chips of gnawed material may be found around baseboards, doors and windows, cabinets, furniture, or stored materials. Mice also gnaw at cracks or small openings in an attempt to enlarge openings and gain access to structures. Nests composed of furniture stuffing, shredded paper or other soft materials, and food caches of nuts, pet food, snail shells or empty fruit rinds will sometimes be discovered when residents clean out garages, tool sheds, attics, closets, or other storage areas. Roof rat nests may sometimes be found when dense vegetation is trimmed or thinned.

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