Pests We Treat - How to ExcludeMice in Rumson, NJ

A Rumson, NJ  homeowner contacted Cowleys after observing mice running around the first and second floor of his home. This was a somewhat unusual situation. Since mice are nocturnal creatures and do their foraging in the dead of night, the rodents are rarely seen by homeowners. Instead, homeowners commonly find signs of mouse activity, especially droppings, nesting materials, and damage to food containers, especially cereal boxes. Often, you’ll hear sounds of them running, gnawing, or squeaking and, should a mouse die behind an appliance, you’ll soon start to smell a rotting mouse carcass. However, according to this homeowner, these brazen mice were observed at all hours running around the home, mostly running along the baseboard molding.

As shown in the video, the first part of dealing with a mouse infestation is to round up the mice that are inside the home. Here, I placed RTU mouse bait stations in strategic locations where there was evidence of mouse activity. Mice do not venture far from food, so if there are mice in your home, there is some existing food source that is attracting them. These bait stations fit flush against a wall or corner where mice travel. They do not hesitate to enter, and once inside, the inside baffles lead them to the bait. Usually, the mice, once they start to feel sick from the bait, will leave the house for their final hours. These stations require a special key to open and are tamper-resistant to keep the bait away from curious children and pets. After setting up these stations, I had two follow-up visits to assess the level of mouse activity still in the home. There was no further signs of mice and the homeowner had not seen any more mice running about.

Now that I was satisfied that there were no more mice inside the home, it was time to begin the exclusion process. With mice, or any other rodents or wildlife for that matter, it is important to identify and seal any potential access points. Mice are especially challenging because of their size. These rodents are even smaller than they look. If you were to shave off their fur, there is almost nothing to them at all, and with no collarbone, they can squeeze through holes and gaps that are the size of a dime. To find them requires a thorough and meticulous inspection of the entire perimeter of the home. As shown in the video, I located potential entry points and sealed them with a two-step process, inserting gnaw-proof copper mesh followed by a hardening expansion foam that completely blocks the hole.  

The homeowner was very happy with the work I had done on behalf of Cowleys, and there have not been any more mouse sightings or signs of mice activity in the home. Another successful mouse eviction!