VIRGINIA — As nights start to feel crisp and cool, mice and even rats can find a way to sneak into Virginia or DC homes ahead of winter.
You don’t have to live with them. Pest-control companies are abundant in Northern Virginia, but with budgets stretched thin by painfully high inflation, some folks may be leaning toward a do-it-yourself solution for mice and rodents.
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t ignore these unwelcome visitors. Mice and rodents spread disease and can bring disease-carrying fleas, mites and ticks into your home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mice have freaky fast reproduction rates. A female can give birth to five or 10 litters of five or six pups a year, and those pups can breed by the time they’re a month old. The math isn’t pretty, and before you know it, you’ll have an infestation on your hands.
Infestations, the CDC said, are the “main reason disease spreads from rodents to people.”
The best thing to do is to stop mice and rats before they get in your house. Find out how they’re getting in, and don’t overlook the small holes, according to a CDC explainer that offers solid guidance for your battle against rodents.
Another freaky thing about mice: They have somewhat collapsible rib cages and can squeeze through a hole the size of a pencil, or about one-fourth inch.
Outside, check gables, eaves and soffits; around windows and doors (especially if they don’t have weather stripping); around the foundation; around attic and crawl space vents; and around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable and gas lines.
Fill small holes with steel wool — rodents will be turned back by the sharp edges as they try to chew their way into your home — and put caulk around it to keep the steel wool in place. Foam works, too.
Bigger holes require a bigger fix. You’ll need lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth or metal sheeting cut to fit around the opening.
If they’re already inside, look inside, around under the places rodents hide — sinks and cabinets, corners in dark closets, appliances, windows and doors, pipes, dryer vents and other places where they can avoid detection.
The steel wool and caulk fix works well inside the house, too.
Of course, make your home less attractive for rodents with proper food storage (in containers with tight lids), cleaning up spilled food, washing dishes, and keeping pet food in containers with tight lids.
Take the garbage out regularly, and clean containers with soap and water.
If you see a mouse scamper across the floor or notice tell-tale signs of mouse droppings, traps are your best defense. Continue trapping them until a week or so passes with no new catches.
Old-fashioned snap traps are best. The CDC doesn’t recommend live or glue traps, because that can cause the critter to urinate or defecate, thus spreading disease.
Here’s a freaky rat fact: They fear anything new. One good way to lure them into a snap trap is by baiting it but not setting it, making the rat comfortable going there for a nibble of peanut butter or whatever other bait you use.
Poison and bait stations shouldn’t be used unless you have an infestation. But you may want to hire a professional exterminator. The CDC offers guidance on avoiding fly-by-night companies.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.