Rodent Control
Gene discusses our rodent control program in the video link below. This short six minute video can help you better understand how to get rid of mice and rats in your home in a planet friendly way.
How to Get Rid of Mice
Transcript of Gene’s video about how to get rid of mice.
Hi. Gene, here. I would like to invite you to take a few minutes with me so we can talk about what I considered to be the most important pest control issue for you and your family and that is rodent control, specifically the white-footed mouse. And why this little guy, even though he might look cute, is much more dangerous than most of us think.
Meet Peromyscus leucopus, the white-footed mouse. The white-footed mouse is a native and very common in our area.
The female mouse can have babies beginning at 6 to 10 weeks of age and the gestation period for pregnancy is only around 22 days. Females can also breed with any available male including their own offspring. In short, one pregnant female can produce a lot of mice and left unchecked it can quickly turn into a serious problem.
You know, we don’t mind if mice live and stay away from the house, they’re actually very beneficial in some regards. They provide a food source for a lot of wild animals and they help move seeds of native plants. The problem is when they get close to our house and I’m talking, you know, from the foundation up to about 50 feet, they can be very problematic primarily in two areas.
One, they’re very destructive to property, both automobiles, vehicles, and your home. And number two, they transmit horrible diseases. ♪ [music] ♪Annually, rodents cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. Rodents can cause damage in many ways.
Their urine and feces can ruin personal items and it can totally contaminate the insulation in the walls and attic. Gnawing is another large problem. Rodent teeth never stop growing and because of this, mice are constantly chewing on everything. This need to constantly be gnawing becomes a real problem when rodents encounter human property.
Even though mice are destructive by nature, the number one risk to you and your family is the very real threat of disease. White-footed mice are the main source of transmitting Lyme disease to ticks. Those ticks then, in turn, bite us and infect us with Lyme disease.
The CDC says 75% of the people who will contract Lyme disease this year will get it around their home through being outside gardening, landscaping, children playing. The risk is very real and it makes a large difference when we can reduce the amount of rodents directly against the house.
We are not looking to create a sterile environment where there are no mice anywhere, our focus is very specific from the foundation out to about 50 feet. ♪ When we show up at your home to do a rodent and treatment, the very first thing we do is an inspection, we want to understand three things, access points, food sources and areas of habitat.
If we can solve or work on those things, we can go a long way to helping solve a problem without the use of trapping or other devices. For an interior rodent problem, some of our clients like to do their own trapping, others don’t, so we can work with you, show you how to set up a trapping program, we can do the trapping program for you. The bottom line is we will help you get the mice out of your house.
The main focus is on the exterior, we don’t want the mice to get in, to begin with. So the number one tool we use is the rodent bait station. Okay, this is the station we use, it’s animal proof and it’s childproof. It’s anchored with a 12-pound concrete block on the bottom.
You need a special key to get in. When we open it, the chambers contained within here is very specific. So it happens to access the bait, which is contained in this chamber here. The animal has to come in here or they can come in here and then they need to make a series of 90-degree turns.
So they come in, you have to make a 90-degree turn, 90-degree turn, and then another 90-degree turn to get into the bait chamber. So then the other point is these ridges right here on the edge and then on the lid are very specific because when this is closed, the ceiling to the pathway to get to the bait is very low.
These ridges shrink the ceiling. So the only animal that’s going to get in here is anything the size of the Norway rat or smaller. The bait is put on these metal rods. They get fed on, put in here. The animal comes in, they feed off of this. They cannot take the bait and drag it out, very effective. Remember, we are not trying to create a sterile environment where there’s no rodents anywhere out here in the environment, our focus is very specific, we don’t want mice or rodents against the foundation out to about 50 feet.
And correctly using bait stations can be very effective in accomplishing this. Is possible to do it yourself. If you’re not comfortable using rodenticides, it’s best to leave it to a professional. We have some information on our website, there’s tons of information on the internet.
Reducing rodent populations goes a long way to keeping you and your family safe and protected.
Mouse Exterminator Pricing
Exterior mouse exterminator four station setup $250
Exterior monthly four station service $70
Interior initial assessment and treatment starting at $225
Don’t ignore the importance of keeping mice out of your home with a professional rodent control program. That pesky mouse is more dangerous than you think.
Our rodent control service includes a complete inspection of the property to assess the situation. We focus on eliminating or reducing food, access and habitat. We reduce mouse and rat populations around the exterior of the home by installing bait stations around the foundation. Most single-family homes require four stations that typically need service during the fall, winter and early spring. We will set up a mouse exterminator program for the interior of the home when needed.
While Lyme Disease is spread through a black-legged tick bite, the ticks must become infected themselves. The disease-causing Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is what is needed in order to transmit Lyme. White-footed mice are one of the largest carriers of this bacteria “” and they’re among the animals that ticks feed off of the most. A professional rodent treatment will help reduce the spread of lyme infection in ticks.
Get rid of mice in your home today!
Rodent control is not something you want to delay. Call us at 800-990-0335 if you live in Southern Maryland ( Anne Arundel, St. Mary’s, Calvert or Charles County) or Northern Virginia ( Alexandria, Arlington, Annandale, McLean and more ).
Do you need a mouse exterminator?
Your home’s crawl spaces, basements, and attics provide the ideal habitat for these mice due to their lack of human activity and damp, dark environments. Squeaking noises within your walls and baseboards. If you spot mice droppings (they’re small, dark, and have pointy ends). If you smell something somewhat stale in a specific area of your home, you may have a mouse infestation. The same goes if your pets seem interested in a particular area. If you spot gnaw and scratch marks on walls and furniture, or if you spot mice tracks. Chewed up food packages, newspapers, and other small materials around your home are often signs that mice are building a nest. A good rodent control program will help keep you protected.
Very impressed with Planet Friendly! I called on Friday afternoon and the owner of the company, Gene, showed up at my house Saturday morning and personally diagnosed my crawl space problem. Very knowledgeable, honest and thorough assessment of the problem. I rarely write reviews but feel compelled due to the outstanding level of attention and service.
Very knowledgable and willing to work with you to genuenally solve the issue wheather using thier service or teaching you how to do it yourself. Looking fowardwd to building a relationship with these folks.
How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Home
How Reducing White-Footed Mice Populations in Fall & Winter Lowers Lyme Disease Risk
Reducing white-footed mice populations in the fall and winter can be a significant strategy in controlling Lyme disease risk. These rodents play a crucial role in transmitting Lyme disease to ticks, which can then infect humans. By implementing effective control...
Understanding Lyme Disease: The Role of White-Footed Mice and Black-Legged Ticks
Introduction to Lyme Disease Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern, midwestern, and southeastern United...
The Complex Relationship Among White-Footed Mice, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Black-Legged Ticks in Lyme Disease Transmission
Lyme disease is a significant public health issue, particularly in areas where the disease-carrying bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi is prevalent. The cycle of transmission involves multiple species, but three primary players are crucial in the spread of Lyme disease:...
People Also Ask
How to get rid of mice? Why do I keep getting them in my house?
Mice need three things to be a pest in and around your home; food, habitat and access. Controlling these three areas both inside and outside the house are critical.
Controlling mouse habitat can be challenging. Most of us like to have some sort of landscaping and plantings around our home. This often makes our home’s foundation area appealing to mice. Eliminating leaf debris, clutter and other types of habitat will help discourage mice. Often a home is in a setting where the natural environment is conducive to rodents. This makes it very difficult to discourage rodents from visiting.
The second thing mice need is a food source. Mice are very good at finding food! For those of us who like to feed animals outdoors this is a tough one. Bird feeders, squirrel feeders, dog and cat food are all sources of food for mice. Keeping animal feed away the foundation will help to discourage mice. Remember, mice collect and hoard food in caches. The farther away outdoor animal feed is located from the house the better.
Eliminating rodent access is the best way of keeping mice out of your home. This can be extremely challenging for some homes. A mouse only needs a tiny opening and they are in. Often these openings are under the homes siding, along the roof areas, garages, utility areas, etc. Any place around the home where a wire, pipe or anything comes from outside in is a place to look. Where construction materials meet; windows frames, door jams, carpet to drywall, concrete to siding, brick to wood, etc. Any transitions in building material are key areas to look for rodent access points. Once located it is important to repair and or seal the access points. The reality is sometimes it may be unrealistic in certain structures to seal off all access. For more tips on how to get rid of mice click here and check out this article.
The mice eat the bait off my snap traps and don’t get caught. What is going on?
Mice are very adaptable to their environment and can quickly become wise to trapping. If you have a resident population of mice that are wise to snap traps, try changing-up your trapping program a little. For a few days bait all your traps but don’t arm them. Let the mice get use to eating off the trap. After a few days keep baiting but only arm half of traps. Try different combinations of baiting and arming the traps. This will usually defeat smart mice.
I am setting snap traps for mice and I am not catching any. I know I have a mouse problem because there are droppings in my kitchen. How come I can’t catch any mice?
Consider two things here. One, there is a better food source available to the mice and they have no interest in your trap bait. Make sure all food sources are eliminated. Don’t leave pet food out, place anything a mouse might want into a sealed container. Keep in mind mice hoard and store food in caches. Until the best food source for the mouse is the bait on your trap you may not get any catches.
The Second thing to consider is trap placement. Mice loves edges and inside-corners. Make sure your traps are placed where mice typically travel. Just because you see a mouse run across the middle of the kitchen floor does not mean that is where you should place your trap.
Are rodenticide poisons safe?
The use of rodenticides is a complicated topic. They have a place in rodent control. Used correctly, rodenticides can be a very effective tool in fighting rodent problems.
There are serval chemical families of rodenticide with different modes of action. There are anticoagulants, neurotoxins, and Vitamin D3 poisons. They all kill rodents. Some have antidotes for an accidental poisoning, others do not. Some rodenticides allow a rodent to continue feeding for a few days, even after a rodent has consumed a lethal dose of rodenticide. This makes the rodent carcass have higher toxicity levels. If another animal where to eat the carcass that animal will also be exposed to the poison. This is called secondary poisoning. Other rodenticides have “stop-feed” characteristics which make the rodent stop eating. This limits the amount poison ingested by the rodent.
The chemical mode of action is also very important to consider when using a rodenticide. All rodenticides are NOT created equal.
Does the toxin end up throughout the muscle tissue and gut versus just the liver and kidneys? Is there an antidote to the toxin? Is the area where the rodenticide is being used located where there are birds and animals that eat mice? Do pets live at the house? Is the rodenticide offered in an animal and child proof bait station? Answers to these questions are important when considering the use of rodenticide.
For anyone considering the use of a rodenticide as part of their rodent control program we highly recommend they take time to understand what is involved. With the internet today it is possible to quickly access good information. Here is one article that may help one become better informed about rodenticides. Being informed about what is happening on your property is an important part of deciding how to solve pest problems.
Responsible use of rodenticides does have a place in rodent control. If you are unsure of how to use them it is best to NOT use them and leave it to a professional.