It’s Finally Spring…When Will Mice Leave My House?

Mice may have invaded your home for the winter to escape the freezing cold, but now that we have made it past the snow and are hitting consistent warmer weather, you may be wondering when mice will be making their way back out into the great outdoors where they belong.

After a long winter staying in a warm home and not having to worry about finding food or water since you’ve been such a great host unknowingly, mice see no reason to leave your home even with the pleasant weather outside so it’s up to you to give mice the boot!

Where Do Mice Like to Hide?

Various areas throughout the home are the ideal hiding spots for mice. Optimally they want to be in an area near air flow and an easy route to food.

These areas include:

• Attics
• Walls
• Crawl Spaces
• Basements
• Areas behind cabinets
• Air ducts or vent systems
• Insulation (which can lead to expensive messes)

Checking these areas for any signs of rodent activity is important to prevent any future infestations and if there is any current activity found, keeping it from getting worse.

Don’t Be a Good Host!

You may not even realize what a great host that you are being to these uninvited guests. It’s time to check your habits to make sure you aren’t making the mice more comfortable in your home than they should be.

• There really isn’t a drawer, cabinet, or area of your pantry and kitchen that a mouse can’t get into while looking for food. The safest places for your food to be is in the fridge or freezer. For dry goods that are in the pantry putting food items into hard plastic containers is also the best way to prevent your food from being impacted by rodent activity in your home, and as a bonus you are helping prevent stored product pest activity as well!
• Make sure you aren’t leaving “snacks” for the mice around. The last thing you want to come downstairs to in the morning before your cup of coffee is seeing a mouse on your countertop nibbling on toast crumbs. Make sure little crumbs from the countertop and table are cleaned up after cooking and eating meals, don’t leave dirty dishes with food scraps on them in the sink or on the counter, they should at least be put in a sink with some soapy water. The less snacking the mice can do from those little scraps that can be left around you’ll be one step closer to kicking the mice out.
• Lastly, mice need to stay hydrated too. Check around the house for any leaky faucets or pipes that could be leaving little puddles of standing water that are perfect spots for the mice to get a drink. Other areas that mice may go to for some water are the moisture ridden and potentially rotted areas of your home where they chewed their way in in the first place. Taking a walk around your home this time of year to check for any entry points to your home for not only rodents but for other pests as well and getting those areas sealed up will help to keep your home pest free!

Kicking the rodents out of your home on your own can be a challenging task. Mice will continue making your home theirs as well way beyond the winter if you let them.

JP McHale Pest Management is here to help, with our thorough pest management programs paired our exclusionary services, we can keep your home rodent free, this spring and beyond!