Dealing with a mouse infestation yourself can be difficult as they breed quickly and can squeeze through tiny cracks and holes in walls and floors. If you get to the stage where you are seeing mice in your house it’s likely the mouse infestation is becoming well established and seeking mouse pest control services is probably a wise investment.
Mice will chew any thing and damage wood, wiring and insulation as well as carrying disease. The damage they cause can be expensive to repair at best and at worst chewed electrical wiring is a serious fire risk. They are naturally drawn to food sources so will often find their way into your kitchen and eat any food they can find. If you have mice in your house then signs of mice, such as mouse droppings, in your kitchen cupboards can be a common first sign of a mouse infestation.
If you are hearing noises in the walls or attic at night this is also a common sign of mice. They are more active during the night and can be surprisingly noisy as they move around. So, if you think you can hear mice in your loft or attic it’s worth taking a look to see if you can spot any other signs of mice – such as droppings or chewed wood or wiring. If you can’t see any signs of mouse activity but are hearing noises in your loft, a good pest control company will offer an on-site survey service. An on-site survey will establish whether you have a mouse or rodent infestation of any kind, and then you can decide if you would like to continue with a pest control service or try and deal with it yourself.
Getting rid of mice yourself can be tricky as off the shelf solutions are sometimes less effective than the licensed products a reputable pest controller will use, and although initially DIY mouse control seems to be cheaper, it can often end up costing the same or more as you may find yourself trying various different products with semi-effective results.
Ultimately a professional mouse pest control service will be able to survey, so you know exactly what’s going on, and start an effective mouse control program the same day. It is always worth checking that the survey is not priced separately from the control program. Ideally you want the survey and control program included in the same call out visit as this will save you money.
All professional pest controllers will usually undertake a minimum of two visits for mouse control, with a survey and set up of the mouse control followed by a second visit 7-10 days later for a re-survey. Hopefully there will then be no further action required and this is the end of the mouse infestation. Sometimes additional visits may be needed but again, ask you pest controller if these can be paid for on an individual basis rather than starting another two-visit program, so you know that you are only paying for what you need. Your pest control technician should also be able to advise on any steps you can take to avoid future mouse infestations, as prevention is always preferable to the cure.
