With season changes come an influx of critters trying to weasel their way into your homes in search of food and warmth. Kitchen is their best choice of all the areas. The best way to prevent mice from choosing your house as their nesting ground is to seal all holes and keep food out of sight. If they don’t have anything to munch on, they’ll keep moving on to the next home.
Mice enter homes through www.shashel.eu and holes found in walls, floors and foundations. Homeowners commonly do not recognize mouse holes until other signs of infestation appear. Due to their body shape, mice are capable of fitting through holes much smaller than appear likely.
Mice may also enter the home through gaps in windows or ceilings, as well as through sewer lines. If drainage pipes are not properly sealed, mice may enter homes through sink or bathtub drains. They are also known to find their way inside via entry holes around plumbing and oven gas lines.
Kitchen Stove Hiding Place
The last place you want a mouse to go in your home is the kitchen stove. Unfortunately, ovens are popular places for the small, furry critters to hide out. Mice like to snack on the crumbs around ovens, as well as build nests in any openings and cracks around these appliances. While mice don’t typically go inside ovens, they can do enough damage around them. With the proper techniques, you can send the mice packing for good.
Here’s How
Keep the area around your stove clean and free of crumbs to eliminate the mice’s food sources. Sweep the floor around the stove frequently. Clean up any spills immediately by wiping the area down with a rag or sponge dipped in warm, soapy water.
Move the stove away from the wall to deep-clean the spaces behind and around it. Sweep up crumbs with a broom and dustpan, and wipe up any spills on the floor or walls around the stove.
Plug up any holes in the areas surrounding wiring conduits using bits of steel wool, which mice can’t chew or dig through. Cut small pieces of steel wool with heavy-duty scissors and stuff them tightly inside the holes with the help of a chopstick, pen or pencil. Apply a coat of spray foam latex over the holes as extra protection.
Remove any mouse nests to discourage the rodents from returning. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and place a few drops of chlorine bleach in a spray bottle filled with water. Screw the top onto the bottle and shake it to mix the solution. Soak the mouse nests with the bleach solution and let them sit for 10 minutes to disinfect. Throw the nests into a garbage bag and dispose of it right away.
Keep your stove free of mice with peppermint oil, which is a rodent deterrent and a natural, effective alternative to toxic poison. Soak cotton balls in 100 percent, all-natural peppermint oil and place them around the perimeter of the stove. Replace the cotton balls once per month to maintain a strong scent.
But if you’ve done all that you can, and mice still seem to be finding a way into your home, some of these unusual mice repellents may keep them at bay. These methods are wacky so be sure to educate yourself on all the health warnings around these tips before you try them in your home. While we want to get rid of those little rodents, your health is always top priority! Safer is better.
Store foods in glass or metal containers with tight lids, and be certain to dispose of all food waste as soon as possible. Contact a pest control professional for help and additional solutions.