Mice Infestation in Jackson, NJ

Challenge

One of our commercial clients, a manager of a day care facility in Jackson, observed a mouse running around in the light fixture in the ceiling in one of classrooms. Even though he just spotted one mouse, it was one mouse too many. Mouse infestations can grow at alarming rates. A single female mouse can have up to ten litters a year with as many as six young, and newborns can start conceiving as early as five weeks of age. The manager was experienced enough to know that he had to immediately tackle the problem by calling Cowleys. The mouse may have been a lone overwintering mouse seeking shelter from the elements or it may have been part of an ever-growing internal infestation. Either way potential entry points had to be uncovered, and inspection had to be done to determine the extent of the problem.

Rodents are one infestation that can’t be left for another day. Mice enter homes and commercial facilities for food, warmth, and shelter. They are relentless in locating stored food items and, in doing so, contaminate foodstuffs with their urine,  droppings,  and hair. And mice spread diseases not just by food contamination. Diseases can also be spread by breathing in airborne spores from their droppings. Spores from their dropping The CDC publishes a list of diseases directly transmitted to humans by rodents or their parasites. Among them include salmonellosis (food poisoning), hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, hemorrhagic fever, and tularemia. Mice can also cause cause extensive property damage especially to insulation. They destroy insulation through through their nest-building activities, and depositing of urine and droppings. For mice, gnawing is part of their survival. They must gnaw in order to file down their ever-growing teeth. By doing so, they chew almost everything and anything including electrical wiring, creating a dangerous fire hazard. 

Whenever I am called to resolve a mice infestation, I first conduct an inspection to determine potential entry points and look for signs of an infestation to gauge its size and level of infestation in the building. Here, I first

inspected the utility room adjacent to the classroom where the activity was reported. I immediately noticed that the water pipes and vent pipes going into the ceiling were poorly sealed. As shown in the pictures, there were large gaps left around the pipes providing avenues of easy access through the building. I also noticed that mice droppings had accumulated on the water heater directly under these openings. These were not just potential entry points. Mice were actively using them to gain access to the utility room. In addition, mice were were able to freely enter under the utility room door because the door sweep was worn out. With all of this unrestricted access, mice were abundant, and using the utility room like a jungle gym, climbing up the pipes and entering the ceiling through the openings around the pipes. 

Solution

The first order of business was closing the access points. They client assured me that his handyman would replace the worn door sweep, and properly seal the openings around the pipes. To put a stop to this infestation, I set up a series of indoor traps, placing several rodent bait stations in the utility room and and also securing a rodent bait station right outside the door for those leaving the utility room. These measures would resolve the current infestation. The client thanked me for quickly identifying the source of the infestation so the entry points could be closed. With the rodent baiting in in place, this infestation will be quickly resolved and this facility should not be having any further mice problems.