Throughout our lives, either you or somebody you know has been faced with a problem that occurs more frequently than mentioned. Mice in homes. Rodents in the household, workplace or in sight in public are not as pleasant as Ratatouille makes it out to be. Unfortunately, these mice can result in a number of different problems- unwelcome visits to your house or an interference with your business can be a drag. In order to solve a problem like this, you need to know how to recognize it. Here are a couple things you should know about dealing with mice in homes.
Mouse Teeth
Mice have their upper front teeth protruding a little further out than their bottom teeth causing it to overlap. This feature is a surefire way to know that mice are going to be gnawing at something. Their incisors are also always growing. Domesticated rodents have their teeth trimmed but if they aren’t pets, their long teeth can become problematic. The sound of tiny claws or gnawing teeth going at your walls, or furniture is something to listen for.
Weather
Regardless of where you’re coming from in Ontario, it’s almost a fact that the weather is unpredictable. Something that is a little more predictable, though, is mice behavior in chillier weather. Winter is here and with the weather getting colder, mice are more likely to relocate themselves into a warm comfortable space to nest. Be sure to keep a closer look out in the winter so you can avoid having to deal with mice in homes and need to call for mice removal.
Disease
Although it’s not guaranteed that the mice or mouse in your presence is a carrier for a terrible disease, like often believed, you wouldn’t really want to be the one to find out if it is. It’s not a secret that mice are known to carry various sorts of viruses. One of the more severe types is called Hantavirus. Hantavirus is a virus that is contracted from mice droppings. Contracting Hantavirus occurs when a mouse leaves its droppings on the ground, which then dries up into a form of dust. Humans contract it from inhaling or ingesting it, so be careful when cleaning up dust piles and wear a mask.
Food & Hygiene
This fact isn’t only restricted to mice, but to many other pest control causing critters as well. When dealing with mice in homes it’s always important to be reminded to clean up after yourself, especially when there is food involved. Mice are constantly scavenging for food for their nest, therefore, when they see a source they will go after it. Unguarded food, crumbs and messes left around the place become a food buffet to all sorts of critters. They are attracted to it and will rely on locations where food is heavily present. Be sure to keep the place clean and secure your food.
These are just a couple things to be aware of when dealing with mice problems. When dealing with mice in homes, you should know that their habitat might not be restricted to a single part of the house. Mice have a habit of scavenging their food from around multiple sources. Chances are, when mice are present in once location, they’ve likely made a habitat out of another within the same house.
These creatures are often regarded as nuisances and problematic when there is no intention of owning a rodent, and that’s understandable. Just be sure to take precautions when you’re dealing with them. Outside, mice are creatures like any other who inhabit different parts of the world, all over the world. Here are a couple interesting facts about mice
Mice can live in forests, fields, grasslands and your basement. They can make a habitat out of almost any area as long as they’re out of harms way from predators, the climate is suitable, and there’s a reliable source of food. It should also be noted that once they’ve claimed a place, they’ve claimed it, as mice can be territorial and make their mark with their droppings.
Different mice and different types of mice each come with a number of different characteristics, but generally, mice are fast moving, sneaky rodents that range from 6-7 inches.
Mice sleep in the day and make their move in the night. Being nocturnal makes them less seen by humans and allows them to become more active.
Mice come from all over the world, and there are more than 25 different kinds of mice identified. Some of these include the following; Spiny Mice, Zebra Mice, Wood Mice and House Mice. These different types have a wide range of features, colors, size and behaviors.
Mice are intelligent creatures who communicate with each other in manners not often seen in other species. Unlike these species, mice communication methods include facial expressions, making different noises and omitting various odors.
These are just a couple things about mice you should know when dealing with mice in homes. The more you know about them, the more you learn and are better able to avoid needing to get rid of mice in the first place. If you are already experiencing problems and require mice removal, feel free to give us a call. We’re glad to help. Our service is fast, humane and efficient and we’ll ensure that the mice will remain in their natural habitat while you, yours.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 1.800.981.0330 for Mice Control!
With the cold weather approaching you may start to find unwanted guests in your home, pests like mice and rats in particular! The cold drives them into your home for heat and if they find a food source and adequate shelter, they will stay. When mice or rats enter your home you need rodent removal immediately. These rodents pose serious health risks for humans. Mice and rats are known to carry diseases, bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Signs Rodents are in your house
A sign that you need rodent removal is when you see mice droppings or rat droppings usually in the form of small dark pellets. You may see bits of chewed-up food packages and holes in and around foundation and walls. You might also be able to hear them in your walls or ceiling. And of course, seeing a mice run across the floor is also clear evidence. They often lurk in the basement, the kitchen, the pantry and even your bedroom.
Toronto Rodent Infestation
Toronto homes are ideal for rodents as many of them have a significant amount of years on them. Due to the normal aging process of a structure, they often develop many nooks and crannies through which rats and mice can enter. Many Toronto homes have cavity wall structures, which means there is a space between brickwork on the outside and drywall on the inside for the purposes of insulation. Rats and mice can enter through spaces in the wall and search out floorboards to come up through. To help prevent rodent problems, cover up all exterior holes and cracks on your property using wire mesh and spray foam insulation. You can do this yourself but it;s recommended to hire a professional. A professional will be familiar with the common places to look in and will be able to properly handle it. Professionals know how to identify entry points, nesting sites, areas of activity and where to place the traps. Although residents use glue boards, snap traps and rat poison to try to get rid of mice and rats, you need to remember that pest control companies are regulated by Ontario and are trained and licensed on how they use these methods. It’s recommended to hire a professional due to the risks with poison which can be dangerous if not used properly; if residents inadvertently scatter it around or don’t follow the instructions on the labels correctly it could be ingested by pets or small children. One case in Oakville, ON, a resident carelessly scattered rat poison to kill pests and ended up killing three dogs and left a couple other dogs seriously ill. Read more on Global News here.
Professional Rodent Removal
As stated, we highly advise to use a professional for rodent removal. There are risks when hosting mice and rats and even more when incorrectly handling the situation. You can read further on in our articles mice removal and rat control. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will arrive at your home to get details on the situation, find out where you have seen rodent or rodent activity or have heard them. We will then assess the interiors and exteriors of your home or business. The entrances they get through will be covered with mesh and foam insulation to prevent further pests from entering. Bait stations will be set up in your property in strategically placed areas. The bait will be in a locked government approved, tamper resistant station. A follow-up may be required afterwards to re-apply control measures if necessary..
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647-994-9453 for Rodent Removal
If you think you have a mice control problem SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated can help. Professional mice control involves removing the mice from your home by sealing the animal entry holes and setting bait stations or traps for the mice depending on your infestation situation.
Signs you need Mice Control
If you are hearing scratching or gnawing noises at night, there is a good possibility you have a mouse issue. You will also know you have mice by droppings, by odors and through finding bite marks on certain foods and household items. Make sure you call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated, Toronto rodent removal experts right away. Don’t let a small rodent issue in your home or business turn into a huge infestation problem.
The most efficient mice control methods are those administered by trained pest control experts
Is Mice Control Necessary?
Yes, living with mice can put you at risk of health issues. Mice droppings are unhygienic and need to be cleaned up immediately as the smell may also attract more rodents.About 6% of mice can carry the hantavirus disease in their urine, feces and saliva that can infect people. All mice and their droppings should be treated as infectious and dangerous. Mice will also cause a lot of damage in your home by chewing. Having wildlife in your home, especially rodents must not be taken lightly. When you’ve got a mouse or a family of them in your house, call the experts.
Populations grow rapidly and are extremely difficult to eradicate. It is best to target infestations when colonies are small
SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated Mice Control Service
How do professionals get rid of mice? Well each mice control case is entirely unique. when you contact SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated we will ask you numerous questions prior to engaging in any extermination or control methods.
Questions that will help implement a strategic solution include
What is the size of the property?
Is it detached?
Where have you seen the mice?
What noises are you hearing and when?
How long have you had them?
Your answer helps assess your mice control situation and implement a program based on whats deemed necessary. We will come to your home and inspect the outer perimeter to find entry holes. If we find entry points for the mice in the exterior inspection and they are minor holes we can plug them for you. We will then go into your house and implement the best option whether its mouse traps, mechanical traps, glue boards or bait stations. The bait stations are inaccessible and locked, although they must never be tampered with unless you are a trained and licensed professional. They are strategically placed throughout the infrastructure of your home. Extreme caution and safety is exercised when implementing mice control measures.
Please be patient, depending on the infestation level effective control can take a period of time.
Do not move or tamper with any stations or traps
Do not use any other mice control products as it may work against our rodent control measures
Follow recommendations given by technicians like removing food sources, sealing containers, keeping floors very clean and removing trash regularly.
Technicians will return at a time convenient for you and them to check the situation and remove bait and traps.
Call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at 647-994-9453 for Mice Control
Do you hear noises in your attic, or hear scratching in the walls or chirping in your chimney? Then it is more than likely that you have wildlife in your home. In these cases the first step is to find out where exactly they are. The second is to figure out how they get in! Knowing what wildlife animal is on your property will help determine where you need to look.
If you have mice on your property, then it will be tricky to figure out exactly how they are getting. Mice have the capability due to their size and dexterity to squeeze tiny entry ways. They are cunning creatures who find ways to enter through tiny cracks and holes. They dart in open doors and even in windows. Mice are good climbers and if you leave your windows open especially on the first floor it is possible they will enter in to your home.
Seal any gaps in your doors, cracks/holes on the outside of your home or any gaps between the window and the frame. Mice may also enter through vents, chimneys or around access holes created for pipes and cables. Sealing holes and cracks and putting screens on vents and chimneys is the best way to keep mice out. And don’t forget to keep your doors closed.
Although larger than mice, rats similar to mice can fit through very small holes. They can inhabit very small nooks and crannies inside a house, from walls to ceilings, crawl spaces and attics. Rats excretion as you will know is very dangerous, so it is vital if you have rats you have them removed and closely inspect for your house for their entry points. It is not always easy to spot entry points, but a brown grease marks is usually an identifier for it if used often. For rats, you may have to crawl into tight spots or in some cases dig which is why it is highly advised to hire a professional to get rid your rat problem.
Raccoons are extremely intelligent animals who have adapted to city and urban life in Toronto too well. Raccoons have different vision from humans. They are able to see the heat escaping from your home and approach that weak area and get inside. They might rip open a soffit or go through an open vent, tear a hole in the wall or even just climb through your pet door. Not only do they have great sight but they have a great sense of smell, so do not leave any pet food about as this attracts them and may lead the raccoons into your home. Below are common areas for raccoon entry. It is recommended to inspect these areas at least twice annually to make sure there are no holes or any weak areas that need to be replaced.
Squirrels, like raccoons enter through holes in the roof, rip soffits, go through an open vent, chimney or through a hole in the wall. Squirrels are usually more frightened of you than you are of it, so try making loud noises or play ongoing music or call a professional. Covering entry holes with metal mesh, capping chimneys and trimming trees back from your home will help keep them out. The above diagram shows entry points for raccoons as well as squirrels. These areas on your roof should be inspected twice annually to monitor and replace any weak areas.
Opossums are pests because they will do anything to break into your home. If a opossum learns you have food, in some cases they will return on a daily basis and cause havoc. Opossums will make a nest in your home by chewing through the exterior of your house to get into your walls, garage, attic etc. If opossums invade your home they can chew through wood, drywall, gnaw on electrics and rip up all insulation in your home. To prevent opossums from entering, remove all food sources, secure your garbage and put a wire mesh around your yard or house buried at a foot deep to stop them digging under it.
Always check for babies before removing an adult, and do not remove an adult and seal off the entry points as the babies will starve and die. The babies need to be humanely removed and reunited with their mother who will take them to another nest.
As explained, services and methods depend on the situation, the type of animal and how they get in. It is highly advised to wildlife proof your home, this involves sealing all vents and weak areas of your home with mesh. Surrounding your home with a foot deep mesh that will help prevent wildlife from digging under your home and gaining entry. You should check your home regularly throughout the year to see if there are any sign of animals trying to enter your home as the best method for wildlife control is prevention.
There are two main options to solving a wildlife problem – do it yourself or call a professional.
As a professional I will always advise using our services than doing it yourself, but that being said I do get a lot of phone calls from customers where it just ends up they only need advice as they can easily solve it themselves with the right knowledge. However this is the main reason I advise hiring a professional – knowledge.
As a professional, with the amount of times I’ve seen things done incorrectly or inhumanely, I would always recommend calling for wildlife removal services. That being said, it is a common occurrence that we receive phone calls from people requesting advice so that they can tackle it on their own. When conducting wildlife removal, it’s always safest to call a professional because one of the main differences between DIY methods and calling a service are two things main things, knowledge and experience.
Handling wildlife problems without experience or knowledge can be dangerous. As recently reported in the Town of Oakville were three dogs who died and three dogs were seriously ill after eating poison a neighbor planted carelessly to get rid of local wildlife.
The individual planted rat poison around trees to get rid of squirrels but unfortunately the neighbors pets were victim. As a huge dog lover and an advocate for the humane treatment of animals, I would be devastated if any animal (or human) got poisoned due to my neighbor’s carelessness.
Without knowledge or experience, anybody can fall victim putting their own and other people’s health and safety at risk. It is unfortunate that a decision made by their neighbor has devastated these houses which could have been avoided with proper research into more humane, non-lethal solutions. You can read more on the story on Global News.
In general SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated takes one of two approaches for wildlife problems (or a combination).
The main and preferred approach is to install one-way doors at entry-points to allow animals to leave the building, and to prevent re-entry.
The second is live trapping. We snare or trap the animal and then release back into the wild a kilometer away in accordance to Ontario rules and regulations.
These approaches sound very easy but it takes experience and knowledge of the animals to do it correctly. If there are babies involved separate precautions must be taken. The mother must be initially removed and later relocated with her babies, the humane method of wildlife removal with babies. If you have a wildlife problem, call us for advice or help – 647-994-9453 or email us at info@soswildlife.ca.
Do-it-Yourself Wildlife Removal Tips
As much as we recommend calling wildlife technicians, we are aware of the stride people take on their own. Below are a couple tips for Do-it-Yourself wildlife removal.
If the animals pose no immediate threat to health and safety, then residents may choose to wait until the adults and any young have left the home or property, and then close the access point to prevent re-entry. Residents taking this approach must ensure that all young animals have left the nest or den, which normally means waiting until the young are weaned.
Read up on your local animal legislation before attempting to do it yourself. Ontario has strong animal welfare legislation, enforcing strong laws and tough penalties. In Ontario it is an offence to cause or permit distress to an animal.
“Their goal is to ensure Ontario’s animals are protected and treated in the humane manner that our society expects”.
Ministry of Natural Resources, 2015.
It’s against the law in Ontario to even own a trap that can catch anything bigger than a rat. Any device big enough to kill a raccoon or any use of poisons to kill these wild animals could also snare the neighbor’s cat or worst case scenario a toddler. The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) recommends hiring a licensed professional to trap and remove the animal.
Trapping is a common tactic for urban wildlife management in Toronto, but the most effective way of controlling pests like raccoons, skunks, mice, rats, or squirrels is prevention. Preventing the wildlife from entering your home can be much more effective than live trapping. Please check out our video on wildlife proofing your home.
With the cold weather approaching you may start to find unwanted guests in your home, pests like mice and rats in particular! The cold drives them into your home for heat and if they find a food source and adequate shelter, they will stay. When mice or rats enter your home you need rodent removal immediately. These rodents pose serious health risks for humans. Mice and rats are known to carry diseases, bacteria, viruses and parasites.