Have you ever wondered where animals go when it gets cold outside? In nature, there are many places they can hide from the cold. They may tunnel deep into the ground, squeeze into a rocky crevice, hide in a cave, or hide under a log. These places shield them from the freezing winds. But none of these natural hiding places offer the warm and toasty comfort of your home. If those animals figure this out, you're going to be in trouble. Fortunately, only a few animals are curious enough to discover that you have heat inside your home. Mice are one of them.
Before mice get into your home, they explore your foundation perimeter. The more mice you have doing this, the greater the chance a mouse will notice that there is heat leaking out. When they do, they'll be encouraged to use their strong teeth to gnaw their way in and take advantage of that heat. That is why it is so important to get rid of mice around your Nashville home this time of year.
DIY Mice Tips
There are many ways to make your foundation perimeter less inviting to mice, and reduce rodent traffic. These have to do with controlling the availability of food, water, and harborage.
Food comes in many forms. It may be feed inside a livestock trough or pet food in a pet dish. It may be organic material inside a thin plastic trash bag. It may be fruits, vegetables, or berries. Mice eat a wide variety of foods. If you put food outside for other animals, consider doing this only at meal times. Place all trash bags in sealed, clean receptacles. Install fencing around gardens, berry bushes, and fruit trees.
Mice love a watering hole. If you have areas of standing water around your home, mice will take notice. Do an inspection of your perimeter and address any conditions that are allowing water to accumulate.
There are two types of harborage that mice will take advantage of. One is a temporary hiding place such as overgrown plants, a stack of wood, a toy, or some other object sitting in your yard or next to your home. The other is long-term harborage. This could be an appliance that is being temporarily stored out back, an old car that hasn't been driven for a while, and similar items. Mice are skittish. If you remove hiding places, they'll be less inclined to explore your yard.
Professional Mouse Control
The best way to get rid of mice around your Nashville home is by adding rodent control to your year-round pest control service. Mice can get inside any time of the year. With help from a licensed professional, you'll have a better chance of keeping them out.