Michigan Poison Free Mice Extermination Services
Mice Control From Attics and Homes
Mice and Rat Infestations
In Michigan rats and mice will survive in the wilderness and in urban areas. They are very similar to one another. The eat numerous amounts of food and have 50 to 100 young per year. There are black rats otherwise known as roof rats as well as brown rats aka Norway rats. Rats will live in city buildings, sewage systems, and pretty much anywhere they can survive. Typically we only deal with rats in the cities because a food source is more prominent in dumpsters and other areas. Roof rats will live in attics and burrow underneath insulation creating nest.
The most common problem we deal with in Michigan are field mice. Mice are mainly nocturnal rodents but can also be found during the day. Mice love to live underneath insulation and burrow tunnels through out your attic. Mice can fit through 1/4" holes making construction gaps on your roof gateways to your attic.
Most field mice and house mouse weigh less than an ounce. Mice will network through your home and attic, pretty much anywhere they can. Often the reason mice enter your home is because there is a food source somewhere there. House mice will eat many types of food but prefer seeds and nuts. Often we will see egg corns or bird seed scattered through out the attic. One mouse can't eat a ton, but they will sample many foods causing the spread of diseases. Mice will sample many foods there for defecating everywhere very frequently. Mice ruin more food than they consume. Mice are nocturnal rodents, but sometimes will be seen during the day. They dig and chew like all rodents do and will create many openings on your home.
Nuisance Problem: Running through walls and across ceilings is their biggest nuisance to home owners. They also chew wires in the attic causing 25-30 percent of all house fires. They leave droppings and urine behind causing many diseases like salmonella.
Problem Solvers: Poison free mice control is the best technique. Gang trapping mice in the attic and homes is the best way to get rid of mice. Also preventing the mice from coming in is the best way to get rid of mice and keep them out.
How to identify a mice problem in the home?
Just like most animals there will be signs there is a problem. Typically with mice you will see them, hear them scratching, or notice droppings. When in the attic mice will leave tunnels in the insulation. Usually holes the size of a quarter through out the insulation.
Mice Nesting in the Attic- How to Get Rid of Them Poison Free
When you lay there in bed you may hear scratching in the attic. Often it is mice you hear tunneling underneath the insulation of your attic. The "house mouse" loves to live in your attic. They can climb like all rodents and that includes crawling up and down your walls to your attic space. Mice will use your insulation for nesting material creating pockets to store things like seeds, nuts, and other food sources. Once the mice have gained access into your attic they can cause the following problems:
- Scratching in the attic
- Scratching in the walls
- Mice droppings in the attic
- Strong odors in the attic
- Gnawing and chewing of wires
- Chewing of plumbing pipes
- Diseases like the Hanta virus
When you discover a mice problem in the attic it is important to take action. Trapping, prevention and exclusion are the best techniques.
Why do Mice Choose Your Attic to Live in?
An attic provides perfect shelter for mice to live in. It is warm, dry, and keeps them free from predators. It also serves as an area to have babies several times a year. Just like many rodents, mice will store food in your attic. Many home owners don't believe they can have mice in the attic, because they have never seen them in the house. Mice in your house or basement will feel threatened especially if your have pets. Mice can have plenty of access to food on the exterior of your home and don't need the food source you provide them in the home.
What damages can Mice cause in the attic?
besides the annoyance of scratching and scampering in the attic mice can cause significant damage to your attic and your health. Mice are chewers just like all rodents. Mice are known for causing about 25-30 percent of all house fires. They chew on electrical wires and plumbing pipes in the attic. Mice are filled with diseases and the most common disease you can contract from mice being in your attic is the hanta virus.
How to get rid of Mice in the attic?
Just like most ways of the wildlife control industry there is a right way and wrong way to get rid of mice from the attic. Many pest control companies take the lazy approach to solving your mice infestation problem by laying poisons through out your home and attic. Getting rid of mice can be that simple, but your doing more harm than good. Your attic will be filled with dead rotting mice causing horrible smells, maggots, and flies. If a poisoned mouse makes it in to your home your pets may be at risk of secondary poisoning. Quarterly mice programs offered by pest control companies will end up being more expensive and less efficient in the end. When getting rid of mice from your attic we take a different approach. Below are the steps we take to get rid of mice infestations.
- Inspection: Inspecting your entire home or building to locate entry points of the mice, potential entrances, nesting areas, run ways, and damages. Areas we inspect include your roof lines high and low, foundations, walls, gutter lines, eaves, electrical and plumbing lines.
- Live Exclusion: This consist of sealing all possible entry points on the outside of the house and setting up one way exit doors. The mice can run out, but can not get back in.
- Trapping: In the attic we set snap traps or repeating mice traps to catch any left behind mice. Some times simple drops of peppermint can drive mice out of your attic, because they are allergic.
- Trap Removal: After 7-10 days time we return to remove any set traps in the attic as well as one way trap doors. We then reinspect the home to make sure all of the areas remain sealed up.
- Clean Up: Some homes that are filled with mice droppings will require a clean up and possible attic restoration. Damaged insulation and dropping need to be removed sanitized and replaced.
Why Choosing Poison Free Mice Removal and Control is a Better and More Humane Method
Rat poison for mice control can result in slow and painful death for the rodents that consume it. Often times it can take up to 14 days for a mouse or rat to die once they consume the poison. Mice do not choose where they die. Decaying rodents will leave a horrific odor that can last for weeks or months. Mice are not looking for water outside the attic or house to drink and die. These are only what some will tell you. Cats and dogs that eat mice after they consume poison is secondary poisoning could result in your pet to become sick or even die.
Quarterly Mice Poison Programs Cost More Over Time
Many pest control companies offer quarterly or yearly treatments or poison programs. Each time you are required to pay a service fee and a treatment fee. After a years time you will end up paying hundreds and even thousands of dollars for dead mice/rats in the attic. We recommend taking a proactive approach and preventing the mice from returning with outside entry point repairs.
Common Mice Control Questions in Michigan
If you see many signs of mice, we would reccommend hiring a professional exterminator. It's more expensive than doing it yourself, but getting the correct poison free pest control company in will save you time and make sure the job is done correctly.
As we mention in the rights and wrongs of how to control mice, we always reccommend the poison free method. If you are going to use a company that only exterminates with poisons it's best to keep the poison out of your home or attic. Exterior bait stations around the home could be an effective way to solve a mice problem, but the stations need to be locked so pets and other wildlife can't get into them. Also choose a company that is going to give you a free mice inspection.
Due to the fact mice are chewers, you can never really permanently get rid of mice. The best method for mice control is preventative maintenance. Once a year you should go around the home and look for pipe penitrations and other quarter inch holes that lead into your home or attic. Sealing these holes will certianly help keeping mice out.
Chances are if you see a mouse you probably have more nearby. Mice live in walls and attic spaces. Typically mice can have 40-50 mice per year. This means at any given time you could have 5 to 6 mice or potentially hundreds.
Mice are nocturnal. They are most active during the night, however you will see them during the day as well.
During the fall and winter most homes will encounter a mice problem at some point. Mice only need a 1/4" to get into your home. There are plenty of potential entry points on any given home, new or old.
Mice can enter your home high or low. Mice enter your home through cracks in foundation, penetration pipes, corner molding gaps, under decks and porches, etc. Mice enter your attic through gaps in the roofline, ridge-vents, gable-vents, etc. Look for gnawing or greese marks outside of the openings.
How Much Does it Cost to Get Rid of Mice?
Our mice control programs are much different than most exterminators or pest control companies. We do not come to your home and lay poison baits all over them home. This technique is very lazy and can end up costing you more money in the long run. We offer a seasonal mouse program where we can set traps in your home, attic, garage or basement. Our objective is to locate points of entry from the exterior of the home and inside the attic. We initially charge a home inspection and trap set fee. Price could range from $200-$300 depending on the location of your home and the difficulty of the job. Upon or inspection of the home we strategically place traps in areas where the mice are nesting. Typically in 7 to 10 days later we will return to check all of the traps and make sure the outside repairs are in good standing. Cost of repairs on the home for mice prevention will vary home to home depending on the steepness of the roof, lineal footage of caulking, number of repairs, etc. For a more detailed price click on the free quote button.
If you have have a mice problem and you live in Michigan we service you. Common areas we serve throughout our service area are: Bay City, Dewitt, Eagle, Elsie, Fowler, Maple Rapids, Ovid, St. Johns, Westphalia,Bellevue, Charlotte, Dimondale, Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Mulliken, Olivet, Potterville, Sunfield, Vermontville, Waverly, Burton, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Linden, Montrose, Mount Morris, Otisville, Swartz Creek,Dansville, East Lansing, Lansing, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Stockbridge, Webberville, Williamston, Jackson, Grass Lake, Almont, Attica, Clifford,Columbiaville, Dryden, Imlay City, Lapeer, Metamora, North Branch, Otter Lake, Argentine, Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Armada, Center Line, Chesterfield, Clinton, Eastpointe, Memphis, Mount Clemons, New Baltimore, New Haven, Romeo, Saint Claire Shores, Shelby, Sterling Heights, Utica, Warren, Midland, Carleton, Dundee, Estral Beach, Luna Pier, Maybee, Monroe, Petersburg, South Rockwood, Auburn Hills, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Holly, Lake Orion, Madison Heights, Milford, Novi, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Troy, Walled lake, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Wolverine Lake, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Merrill, Oakley, Saginaw, St. Charles, Zilwaukee, Bancroft, Byron, Corunna, Durand, Lainsburg, Lennon, Morrice, New Lothrop, Owosso, Perry, Vernon, Akron, Caro, Cass City, Fairgrove, Gagetown, Kingston, Millingston, Reese, Unionville, Vassar, Ann Arbor, Barton Hills, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Canton, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Wayne, Westland. For more areas we service visit our locations page.
Other Nuisance Wildlife We Service
