MICE
How do I know I have a mouse problem?
You may see, hear or smell a mouse problem or see other evidence such as the droppings which they leave every where they go, also items chewed and not just packets of food. They are commonly heard in loft spaces and will travel in the wall cavities to all parts of the house, especially to areas where food can be found. They often follow the routes of pipes throughout the house.
Mice are occasionally seen during daylight hours. You may hear them in the loft, particularly at night when it is quiet. Many people wonder what they eat in a loft space, they will eat spiders, woodlice & other insects as well as any air Bourne seeds blown into the roof space.
Why should they be treated?
House mice consume food meant for humans or pets. They contaminate food-preparation surfaces with their faeces, which can contain the bacterium that causes food poisoning. People are more tolerant of mice than rats although they can carry the same diseases as rats and are more likely to transmit such diseases, as they are bolder and more curious, coming into closer contact with food, cutlery, work surfaces, etc. Their constant gnawing causes damage to structures and property. Rodent damage to wiring is known to start fires and pipes does cause burst pipes. The house mouse is considered one of the most troublesome and economically important pests in the UK.
Preparation Prior to Treatment
There is not much in the way of preparation prior to a mouse treatment except for keeping food stuffs out of reach of mice if they are in these areas and keeping hygiene to a high standard. It is very important that people are aware of the disease hazard that they can cause. If you suspect they have been on work surfaces or in drawers containing cutlery or foodstuffs then these must be washed before use and foodstuffs destroyed.
Treatment
Effective mouse control involves sanitation, mouse proof construction and population reduction. The first two are useful as preventive measures. When a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. Reduction techniques include trapping and poisoning. Trapping will only reduce a mouse population, rarely eliminate it completely and as they breed so quickly elimination is the desired result. Poison baiting is the quickest way to deal with a mouse infestation. The right type of bait in the right places has to be used for the whole population to feed on the bait for the treatment to succeed. mice are territorial and if the bait is not in a mouse’s territory then it won’t take the bait. When I treat a mouse infestation it will usually be treated with a combination of the two methods. Mice are fussy feeders and surprisingly more resistant to poisons than rats or other rodents. Mice do not need much food and can extract all the moisture from the food they eat. Mice eat only 1/20th. to 1/10th. of an oz. per day. The baits and poisons I use are widely recognised as the best available for the treatment and complete eradication of a mouse infestation. This will take at least 3 visits but normally 4 or 5. On the last visit I will pick up the bait & any available bodies for disposal.
What do I do afterwards?
After the treatment has finished the Mice usually die in nest or out of reach and never found. To prevent re infestation block up any obvious holes around pipes etc. but proofing against mice is difficult as they can get through a gap of 1 cm. Removing vegetation growing on or near to the house may help. Feeding birds increases the mouse population in the area making incursion into nearby buildings more likely.
Guarantee
The treatment is guaranteed to eliminate the present mouse infestation as long as any advice given on proofing or other matters is adhered to. I cannot guarantee against any mouse infestations that come in after this infestation has been dealt with. This may be more of a problem in terraced type houses/flats.