Maybe it happens every year, like the changing of the seasons or the turning of the page on the calendar.  Maybe you’ve just been awakened from a great slumber at 2am and this is the first time that you have heard the sound.  The scratching, squeaking, rustling sound of mice in your home.  In this article, we will explore why you got mice and what you can do now to help prevent it from happening again.

 

Mice, like you and me, require some basic necessities to sustain life.  The big three requirements are food, water, and shelter.  Mice can, and often do, get their water through their food source.  This means that as a homeowner, you can eliminate some prime rodent necessities to lower your chance of getting mice.

 

Prevention always starts on the outside of the home.  Even if you are currently having a rodent issue, inspecting the outside of the home can shed some light on where and how the mice are entering your home.  Look for areas where there is a hole in your home from the outside to the inside.  Check where any water pipes, electrical lines, HVAC lines come out of the house.  Are there gaps or crevices where they come through the wall?  How about the seal at the bottom of your garage door and basement door?  These are all common ways for mice to enter the house.

 

Make sure that all food, including pet food, is in secured packaging or containers.  Mice can chew through shockingly strong materials, but will often not expend the effort if there is an easier way.