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During Gallatin winters, it can get pretty chilly outside. Some winters it's downright cold. Imagine how mice feel. In the wild, they live in cold holes in the ground. When they come out of wooded areas and into our yards, they can find many harborage options equally as cold as a hole in the ground. They can dig their way under a shed and live in the space between the floor of the shed and the cold ground. They can create a nest under a pile of stored items, such as tires, old boards, and crates—or piles of leaves and sticks. When it starts to get chilly, mice can survive in locations like these because they're usually not alone. They cuddle up with other furry, warm-blooded mice. But they are reminded how cold it is every time they go outside searching for food, which they do all winter long, mice don't hibernate. If they come near your home and sense heat coming out of a gap or crack, they will be highly motivated to find out where that heat is coming from. That is where we are going to begin our guide on how to hinder mice from getting into Gallatin homes this winter.
No Vacancy
Have you seen this posted on a hotel or motel? It means there is no empty space available. This is something you need to let those mice know. Your home is not available for harborage. They need to move along. One way you can do this is by sealing potential entry points.
- Check your weatherstripping and make sure you have a good seal all the way around your exterior doors. Check your door sweeps too. You want to keep that heat in and mice out.
- Remove plants or other objects that are near your exterior doors. Mice don't like to be exposed. If your entryways leave a mouse exposed, that mouse is going to have a harder time chewing on your weatherstripping or door sweeps to get into your home.
- Seal gaps around pipes, wire conduit and other objects that pass through your foundation wall.
- Put wire mesh in the bottoms of your downspouts to prevent mice from climbing up to your roof and gaining access to your attic.
- Trim tree branches back from your roofline.
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service
Let those shoeless, shirtless mice know that you don't have any food for them. The fewer food sources you have around your Gallatin home, the fewer mice you're going to have in your yard and the fewer mice you'll have exploring your perimeter during the winter months. Here are a few food sources mice love:
- Seeds. While mice are omnivores and they can eat anything, including each other, they would much rather eat seeds. One seed source that is highly attractive is birdseed that falls to the ground.
- Fruits. If you have fruit trees or berry bushes, mice will love your yard. It is important to keep these food sources protected by fencing.
- Grains. Old french fries, pieces of chips, bread and other products made with grains will attract mice. Be sure to clean up after cookouts. And keep in mind that mice are great climbers and able to easily get into your trash to find these and other food sources. Make sure your trash is in covered receptacles.
It is important to make your Gallatin home resistant to mice. When mice get in, they can be a serious threat to your health and property. Take a look at Mouse 101 for some insight into the threats mice present.
For the greatest protection against mice infestations, it is best to invest in ongoing residential pest control. Our Gallatin pest control experts would be happy to assist you with this. Call or text us for a free home evaluation. We're here to help.