Some mouse infestations actually start outdoors. The mice are drawn to something on your property, they set up a nest, and are able to thrive and multiply. Soon enough, they start sniffing around the property, and eventually enter the home, where they may find more food and shelter. This is why removing any incentives that are present in your yard will lower the odds of having an indoor infestation. So let’s take a look at what draws mice to your yard.
Bird feeders
Bird feeders are going to attract a lot more than birds. Mice love nothing more than nuts and seeds, and they are very good climbers, so whenever they see a bird feeder, they go straight for it. By placing these around your property, you are creating a great incentive for mice to stick around.
Compost
Some homeowners will use compost as a way to produce their own organic fertilizer. However, this compost can attract mice, for more than one reason. First, it makes for great shelter, and second, mice can feed off of a lot of the items that you discard during composting. To protect your compost pile, you can buy a heavy-duty compost tumbler, which will raise the compost off the ground and keep it enclosed.
Natural clutter
Mice love clutter. They use it to travel, and to hide their nest. By removing clutter from your property, you remove an extra incentive for the mice to be there. Make sure that you get rid of fallen leaves, tall grass, and that you keep your wood piles elevated off the ground, preferably in some kind of enclosure.
Pet food
Mice love pet food just as much as any other animal. Make sure that you keep the pet food in a sealed container, and that you clean up any leftovers after the pets are done.
Trashcans
What we consider trash, mice consider food. This is why you want to keep the trash in sealed or lidded containers which would be very hard to access for a rodent.
Do you have a mouse infestation in your yard?
Once mice set up on a property, they are unlikely to leave, even after you’ve removed the incentives. To get rid of the mice already there, you will need to move on to control methods such as traps or poisons. If you need any help with this, contact us today and we will send one of our team members over.