SASKATOON – Mice get cold too, you know.
And the smarter ones soon discover it’s better to weather the arctic blasts of winter in a warm house than outside.
To head them off before they set up their winter homes in the basement, tour the house, and “go over the outside of it inch by inch,” said Peter Anderson, the “rat man” of Prairie Pest Control in Yorkton, Sask.
“Take your time and just plug up every conceivable small hole or crack in the foundation, right up to three or four feet because they can often find ways to climb.”
Read Also
Key actions identified to address canola tariffs
Federal and Saskatchewan governments discuss next steps with industry on Chinese tariffs
Anderson recommends stuffing the holes with steel wool, because mice can’t chew through it.
Already warm and cosy
Once possible entrances are closed, it’s time to deal with the mice already inside.
Signs that mice might have invaded a home include droppings at the foot of walls, on shelves, in cupboards and under sinks.
Poison may offer a solution to some people, but despite a common belief that poison dehydrates mice, Anderson said poison will leave homeowners with a smelly little corpse inside their walls that they’ll have to try and dig out.
“You’re far better off to buy a half a dozen (mouse traps) and put them throughout the house,” he said.
Barry Blakley, a veterinary toxicologist at the University of Saskatchewan, agreed. “All mice, when they die, are going to smell to some extent.”
Blakley also pointed out that most poisons are harmful to the environment or cause agonizing deaths to the mice.
He suggested using a live trap. Homeowners can catch the mouse and dispose of it later, “without the mouse dying in a corner of the house where you can’t get at it.”
Of course, professionals are available. The Swat Team from Winnipeg charges by the size of the house. A & R Pest Control of Brandon does the same, charging $100 to do a 1,200 sq. foot house.
Most exterminators work with discretion.
“Some people don’t like their neighbors to know that they are having some kind of a problem,” said Rhonda Yaremko of Pete’s Professional Pest Control in Saskatoon. “They just aren’t comfortable with that so you have to respect their wishes.”
Keep problem quiet
Because of this, many exterminators don’t advertise their services on the sides of their vehicles.
Snakes may also visit your house at this time of year. Poison won’t work for these either. There’s really only one solution: “Get the neighbor kid who doesn’t mind them to pick up all the snakes and put them in a five-gallon pail and take them away,” said Anderson.
He also recommends finding and eliminating the source of the snakes, such as a rock pile close by or even a small hole in the ground next to the house.
