A mouse infestation might just be the scariest thing you have to encounter as a homemaker. Don’t fall for their puny bodies and button eyes, oh no! These tiny, seemingly harmless creatures are harbingers of disease and degeneration.
When Do I Need to Call An Exterminator?
Scurrying through the holes and the pipes, these pesky pests can destroy everything in their wake. And if you are dealing with a mice infestation for a couple of weeks, then it’s probably time to call the professionals. For, while the over-the-counter sprays and poisons are effective for small-scale infestation, a proper colony of rats calls for an army of Daleks to exterminate them! And if you don’t have a TARDIS or the Doctor nearby, a pest control team from the neighborhood would suffice really well.
Here are some points you must consider to ensure that you hire the best exterminator for the mice problem.
Mice and Menace They Cause
Sharing your space with a mouse is pretty much like dealing with an elusive and dirty roommate- only much worse. Rats, rodents, mice, and moles are all pests that can cause considerable damage to your property. From leaving scratch marks on the furniture to chewing at the carpet, the pillowcases, books, and contaminating the food lying around in the kitchen- a mouse causes nothing but utter destruction wherever it goes. And when they are not vandalizing your house, they are spreading ailments like cholera, plague, and Hantavirus in their wake.
What Kind of Diseases Could They Spread?
Some of the most dangerous diseases transmitted to humans via mouse feces and urine are Salmonellosis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Tularemia, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis, Leptospirosis, and Rat-Bite Fever. And heaven forbid if the infestation fosters and grows! You have to take some action and do it ASAP.
What Are The Signs of a Mouse Infestation?
A mouse is not as sneaky or elusive as it would like you to believe. You might not catch enough glimpses of the rats in the house, as they’re terribly fast in scurrying about at the slightest of noises, you can track their movements via other means. Here are some tell-tale signs of infestation that one must look for in their house to gauge the severity of the rat-problem before figuring out the means to deal with it:
- Rat droppings and the smell of urine
- Scratch marks on the walls and floorboards
- Damaged pipelines, chewed wires, books and other signs of destruction in the house
- Contaminated food
- Squeaking and sounds of scurrying in the middle of the night
These are but a few signs of an infestation. You can tackle the problem using DIY traps and over-the-counter products if there are a couple of rodents infesting your property. However, if the problem gets out of hand, we recommend you call in a professional.
When to Call the Professionals?
Sometimes, the smart thing to do is spend some extra money and call in the professional mouse exterminators rather than doing things yourself and making it worse. An ongoing pest problem in the house is not just irritating, disturbing your daily schedule but also dangerous for the inhabitants of the house.
In the case of a mouse problem, a thorough cleansing is mandatory. For you might have spotted a mere mouse scurrying in the corner, but chances are it has already found a breeding site in your house and has a huge thriving family in your basement, in-between walls or up the attic.
Some of the measures you can take up to control the situation would be to block all possible entry and exit ways- the goal is to make your house as inhospitable as possible for the mice. An exterminator would help you in identifying the areas of infestation and breeding.
What Does a Mice Exterminator Do?
The pest control services are but a phone call away, and how to find them? Well, a simple search through your phonebook or on the internet on “mice exterminator near me” would give you a list of options to choose from. Some of the companies might conduct a free examination of the property to see the extent of the infestation. Also, prior to commencing the pest control process, you will be provided with a list of specific instructions to prep the house for their arrival. Some of these tasks are;
- Clean the house thoroughly and get rid of the extra cardboard boxes and furniture that are cluttering the rooms.
- Amongst other tasks, you have to repair the holes in the walls, the plumbing of the house, keep the food and other perishable item packed and safe inside.
- Also, you are required to clean your refrigerator and the area under the sink for the pest control team to have easy access to these corners.
How to Pick the Right Service?
Now, you can either pick a pest control team from the neighborhood or choose one from your state if you have the resources to hire them. Most rodent extermination teams near you are certified, have the appropriate licenses and the experience in dealing with a mice infestation. If you want a more humane way to deal with the problem, then maybe a call to the shelter services might also help, if they take in rodents. Do your research and make a list of companies that you can have easy access to. Then contact them and ask the exterminator a few questions to confirm if they’re capable of controlling the pest situation at your house. Here are a couple of questions you can ask them;
- About a free inspection
- About how the exterminator treats the mice
- About the time, manpower and estimated cost
- About how they would get rid of the dead mice and clean up after the extermination
- About any additional offers and guarantees
How to Check Their Credibility?
Before allowing a professional mice extermination team in your house you must check the credibility of the company and its services. Usually, a professional team would have a proper uniform, a truck and the proper equipment and chemicals to back them up. However, you must ask for their licenses and other proof of identification and certification to ensure that they are indeed authentic and experienced enough to help you.
Almost every state requires their specialists to participate in annual training to update their licenses. Also, check if the company you’ve hired is bonded or ensured. It is important that you have some kind of guarantee in case there is some damage to your property during the pest control process.
What Are Some Possible Problems with Exterminators?
One of the biggest problems with hiring professional mice exterminators is that there is no absolute guarantee that the mice are gone for good. In some cases, there are no future cases of infestation, in other homes the rodents return after a break. Other problems that might arise can be due to mismanagement and inefficiency on the part of the team. Some other reasons include:
- The access areas and exits are properly not blocked
- The mice are not properly exterminated and hence foster in secret
- The infected area is not treated properly, the chances of an infestation and infection are rampant
- The area is not disinfected properly
- Damage to property
What Are The Costs of Extermination Service?
The cost of the pest control process depends on two things- how huge your property is and how severe the infestation is. Some companies also offer additional services like plumbing and repair if you pay more. It is a cost-effective measure only if your house has a big rat problem.
Also, as mouse extermination requires specialized tools and equipment, don’t expect to find cheap services. For, any reputable pest control company has spent a considerable amount in licensing, getting insured and other things that they have to recover. Remember, investing in your property now not only safeguards your house for a long time but also prevents the risk of diseases and damage in the future.
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips and preventive measures that you can adapt to protect your property from any future cases of mice infestation,
- Follow all the instructions that the pest control team has specified
- Keep the kids and pets away from the house if possible, at least for the duration of the extermination process
- Also, stay away from the traps that they have set for the mice, refrain from interrupting the team at their job
- Avoid people who don’t have a license, don’t produce the required certifications, claim that the pest control process will take a short time or are unable to answer your queries satisfactorily.
- If you have approached the pest control service via a website, then ensure that you have done your homework- read up as many reviews you can find to make an informed decision.
The Bottom Line
Having mice in the house is not a pretty sight, especially when they go about ruining the carpets and the curtains to their heart’s content right under your very noses. Dealing with a mice infestation in the house is a tedious and daunting task. It is best that you call in the services of a professional exterminator before the problem gets out of hand and you are forced to relocate. The pest control team tracks the pests, and according to the size and severity of the problem, take up preventive measures to not just exterminate the existing mice but also reduce the chances of a future infestation.