Get Rid of Mice: To Call a Pest Control Company or Not

Several methods can be used for ridding your home of pesky mice. Some are natural methods and others involve using chemicals. Prevention tips involve the proper storage of food and garbage.   Keep the food in tightly sealed storage containers and clean up all spills. Keep indoor and exterior refuse containers closed. Place outdoor garbage receptacles away from your home. Seal all cracks and openings around pipes within the interior and exterior walls. Mice can squeeze through small openings in a foundation. They can enter through a chimney cap. Make sure your home’s chimney is covered with a cap and mesh wire to keep them out. Some people use mothballs outside of the home because they have a strong odor and they are poisonous. Use steel wool, copper scouring pads, or green kitchen scrub pads to fill in around pipes and holes. The mice cannot chew through the steel wool or scouring pads. It dulls their teeth and deters them from entry. Use caulk to tightly seal around pipes and add it to the steel wool. To deter mice from squeezing under a door, add door sweeps to all exterior doors. Add weather stripping to all exterior doors and windows to repel mice and other pests. Remember pests can fit into small spaces and cracks. Mice can squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch wide.

 

Natural home remedies include using peppermint oil, mint leaves, or mint plants. Put mint oil on cotton balls and place them near entry points. Mice do not like the strong odor of onions. The problem with using this natural method is that onions will rot within a few days causing another odorous problem. In addition, onions are toxic for some animals such as cats and dogs.

 

Predators, i.e., cats, barn owls, or other natural predators will scare away or eat mice. Using instant potatoes is a natural method. The mice eat the instant potato flakes which swell their bellies eventually leading to death. Keep the instant potato flakes away from family pets. Another natural method involves using a mixture containing Plaster of Paris and cocoa powder (chocolate milk powder or cocoa baking powder). Make sure the mixture is dry and place it near entrance points. The mice eat the mixture, seek water, and die. Keep the mixture away from children and family pets. Of course, every farm needs a few barn cats. Farmers claim success by placing trays of used kitty litter near entry points. The mice smell the cat’s urine and run away.

 

St. Louis Pest Control

 

Other methods for eradicating mice involve using baited spring-loaded mouse traps. Use cheese or peanut butter as bait. Using poisonous pellets or baited commercial traps will kill mice. Purchasing baited mouse house traps is an effective method. Glue board traps work but some people consider them to be inhumane. Many homeowners prefer the use of humane traps to capture and release mice. Electronic traps are considered to be a humane method. Some homeowners hire exterminators to rid their home of mice.

How to choose the right home services

How to choose the right home services

Home services have now become the norm throughout the globe. Gone are the days when all the work was done by the homeowners and the dependents only. Now people are tending to spend more money on outsourcing such tasks to save money and time in the long run.

The increased demand has resulted into the rise on a number of companies. This has made difficult for customers to choose the right service. Nevertheless, here are some tips to take into account to choose the right home service:

Experience

Experience is perhaps the most important factor to look into a professional home service company. It is an invaluable factor to take into account which will determine the quality of service being chosen. Importance of experience must be considered in detail. Choose a service that has a reputable name in the market. This can be done by going through the testimonials of the clients. You can also go through reviews of customers to get insights into the actual customer experience.

Customer service

All professional home services will be offering exceptional customer experiences in terms of their services. This is an imperative point to take into account. The company must be focused essentially on the needs and preferences of the customers. Ensure that they have the ability to communicate with clients in a detailed manner. Make sure they understand what your needs and demands are. A positive relationship between the customer and service can prove out to be beneficial for both the sides.

Equipment

Even though the expertise may be very important in choosing the right home service, it is equally important to consider whether they have the right equipment to execute the work in the right manner. Some professional services will have the best equipment in order to provide homeowner with the highest quality service. Also ensure that they do not use any chemicals that may prove to be allergic to you or your kids.

Number of staff

This is another important factor to take into account when choosing a professional cleaning service. Enquire into the number of people that will work over cleaning of your house. The more, the merrier. Ensure that there are enough number of people working over different aspects of cleaning the house. This can ensure that the work will be done in an efficient manner. A lot of time can be saved through this which might not be the case if work is done all by yourself.

Customer reviews

Customer reviews can be indicative of the experience a specific company has. However, there are a lot of other things as well that might be reflected through customer reviews. It can provide insights into the actual experience that earlier customers might have received. Nevertheless, it is generally not probable for any company to have completely positive reviews. Ensure that the reviews are authentic as well. Go through them in detail to have an idea of what the professional services are capable of.