After a stressful day at work, imagine going into your kitchen to prepare your favorite dish, only to find a mouse zooming past you. That’s every homeowner’s nightmare – and unfortunately, it occurs more often than you’d like to think.
Mice in the kitchen can be challenging to deal with. Their high fecundity means that a female mouse can have up to 10 litters per year! Mice are even more difficult to deal with than rats because of their smaller size. This means they can get in through holes as small as the diameter of a pen. To learn more about the difference between rats and mice here.
Asides from the damage they wreak, mice in the kitchen also pose several health risks. To avoid the problems associated with mice infestation, this post explores the best ways to prevent mice from entering your kitchen.
Store food away
Why do you think mice love the kitchen? You guessed it right! Its infinite food supply. The kitchen is analogous to a food fantasyland in a mouse’s world. From cheese to rice to crumbs to soap and lots more, kitchen mice have access to easy food they wouldn’t dream of having in the wild.
Hence, it’s your responsibility to ensure these foodstuffs are inaccessible. When storing food, do not use plastic bags, or cardboard boxes, as mice can easily chew through such objects.
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Some tips for keeping food away in your kitchen include:
- Store food items in an airtight plastic or metal containers
- Do not leave bare food on the counter or in cabinets
- Clear away spilled food or crumbs immediately.
- Ensure you do your dishes immediately after use.
- Ensure you keep your kitchen trash cans adequately sealed and dispose of your waste regularly.
- Clear away seed crumbs, fruits, and other food items on your property that can attract mice.
Seal up potential entry holes
Do you know that mice can easily pass through coin-sized holes? Do you also know that the incisors of mice grow for life? Combine these factors, and you have a powerful nuisance pest that can easily find a way through tiny holes and chew its way through vulnerable spots. That’s why sealing up potential entry holes is crucial to deny mice access to your kitchen.
You should look for common entry spots inside, under, and between kitchen cabinets, stoves, refrigerators, and pantries. Areas around your kitchen sink pipes and floor vents can also serve as entry spots. Also, examine your windows, home foundation, and plumbing for potential holes.
Steel wool or caulk can be used to seal off small holes. Use hardware cloth, lath metal, metal sheeting, lath screen, or cement to fill the gaps for larger holes. Consider flashing around your house base to seal holes in the foundation.
Keep your yard clean and free of hiding spots.
If you have mice around your property, it’s only a matter of time before they find their way into your house and, eventually, the kitchen. Hence, you must keep your backyard and garden clean. Some tips to bear in mind include:
- Trim off tall bushes to eliminate hiding spots.
- Clear off woodpiles and leave piles from your property.
- Keep your garden floor clear of fallen leaves and fruits.
- Get rid of abandoned objects on your property.
Apply repellents
There are several repellents you can apply in your kitchen to keep mice at bay. Common natural repellents include cayenne pepper, peppermint oil, pepper, and cloves. Note that these substances have to be reapplied regularly to maintain their effectiveness.
More recently, ultrasonic mice repellent has been gaining prominence. They emit sound waves inaudible to humans but discomforting to mice. LED mouse repellents are also available in the market. Traditional deterrents like a talking radio can keep them away as they get the impression of humans nearby.
Know when to call a professional
While prevention is the best medicine, you sometimes have no choice but to find a cure when confronted with mice infestation. There are several mice control methods, from the use of traps to poisons. However, choosing the best approach for dealing with kitchen mice can be difficult. That’s why working with a proven rodent control company like controlrodent.com is always a prudent choice.
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