Why Mice Nest in our Homes
House mice frequently find their way into homes in the fall of the year, when outdoor temperatures at night become colder. They enter our homes through the smallest of holes around soffit vents, electrical conduit entry points, through holes in gable vent screens, and through attic turbine and box vents on roofs. Once inside, their nest may be found in unused equipment and appliances, behind and under cabinets, inside unused furniture, among piles of wood and fence posts, and even inside old bird or squirrel nests. The favorite material for making a mouse nest is fine shredded paper or other fibrous material of all kinds.
Two problems with mouse infestations are the Hantavirus, which occurs mostly in the arid southwestern part of the country and salmonellosis, a concern in food storage and preparation areas. Trying to catch mice can be a frustrating experience, but there several different kinds of mouse traps that will do the job for you.
Types of Mouse Traps
There are several different kinds of mouse traps in use today. The ever popular snap trap is perhaps the best known, but there have been recent advances in the science of trapping rodents with the design of electronic mouse repellers and electric mouse traps. Generally, mouse traps are designed for small infestations, while specially designed mouse traps can handle more than 30 mice at one time.
Snap traps are easily set with a high degree of sensitivity, although they are secure enough to prevent the trap from snapping due to surrounding vibrations. Snap traps are purely mechanical and are easily set with one hand. For bait, cheese may be placed on the trap's triggering mechanism, but other food such as oats, chocolate, bread, meat, butter and peanut butter are commonly used. A new, lightweight plastic snap trap consists of a set of plastic jaws operated by a coiled spring and triggering mechanism inside the jaws, where the bait is held. Snap traps kill mice with a guillotine type action that breaks their neck or spine in a single, swift stroke.
Glue Traps, or glue boards are designed to capture a mouse by holding it in place. The killing process is delayed, as the mouse eventually dies of exposure or dehydration. Glue boards are used specifically in sensitive areas such as in homes, apartments, restaurants, hospitals, pet shops, nursing homes and food preparation areas. Glue traps may be preferred in these areas as they are effective in controlling pests without toxic baits and poisons that can harm pets and children.
Poisons. Rodenticides are poison baits, only used in areas where domestic animals and children can't reach them. Rodenticides come in two forms, single feed baits that require one feeding for a lethal dosage, and multiple feed baits that require several feedings. Besides the problem of posing a danger to children and pets, there is a strong possibility that the poisoned rodent will crawl off and die inside a wall or other inaccessible area where its carcass will decompose and be difficult to remove.
Electric mousetraps are a more recent type of mousetrap that delivers a lethal dose of electricity when the mouse completes the circuit by contacting two electrodes located either at the entrance or between the entrance and the bait. Obviously a form of electrocution, a mouse carcass could easily be come a path for electricity until it is burned through.
More recently, the mouse inert gas mousetrap kills trapped mice or other rodents with carbon dioxide, then notifies the user by e-mail so that the trap can be quickly emptied and reset. This is a form of suffocation and poses the inconvenience of carcass deterioration, the same as all previously discussed mousetraps.
Choosing one or more of these mouse traps will quickly eliminate any mouse problem you may be having in your home. The best solution is to keep in mind that mice can invade you home at any time and it's always a good idea to have a mouse trap set, year around.
