How Mice Get Into Knoxville Attics In Winter

How Mice Get Into Knoxville Attics In Winter

How Mice Get Into Knoxville Attics in Winter

Winter is upon us and mice are out looking for a way to get into homes, but why? The simple truth is, mice prefer warmth over the chilly weather of winter and this fact drives them to seek out the best shelter they can find. Frankly, your home beats any other form of shelter they will be able to find in the wild. It has plenty of warmth, is always stocked with food and offers a variety of places to hide, whether in the walls or elsewhere. It’s no wonder why mice want in.

Mice Are Built To Invade

Mice are built to invade homes. They are small, agile, and are among some of the more clever pests out there. Just to put it into perspective, a fully grown house mouse can squeeze its body through a hole the size of a nickel. If you can find a nickel nearby take a look at it. Now consider the foundation of your home. Does it have any nickel-sized holes? On top of that, mice are also fairly good climbers meaning, more often than not, they can scale the walls of your home and invade at any level. This includes your attic. Now think back to the nickel fact again and this time consider your entire home for potential entry points. Even if your house is a fortress, there is always a chance a mouse can find a hole big enough to squeeze through.

Why Mice Are The Last Thing You Want In Your Home

Did you know that a mouse’s incisors never stop growing? And to combat this they chew on practically everything? This becomes a major problem when mice are surrounded by insulation and wires as they crawl through your walls. On top of chewing on everything, mice are also not the cleanest of animals. They often forage in areas of waste just as easily as they traipse through our food when they invade. This raises more than a few sanitation concerns. Finally, mice are known carriers of various diseases, ones that can be transmitted through their feces and urine, which they leave wherever they go. All around, mice are not a pest you want in your home.

Call Russell’s For All Your Mice Needs

When it’s all said and done, one thing will always be true, mice are a pain to deal with. They commonly elude traps, wreak havoc when the lights go out, and are an all-around threat to your health and well-being. So, if your home has mice, we want to help. By calling on Russell’s Pest Control, you are gaining over 40 years of pest control experience. Our pest control technicians are known for getting things done right. Any day, any time, we would be happy to do right by you and your home. So give us a call today!

Tips To Avoid Summer Mice Problems

Tips To Avoid Summer Mice Problems

When people hear the phrase “summer pest problems” most think of insects like flies, mosquitoes, and ants, but did you know that rodents are actually a threat for homeowners during the summer season as well? That’s right, rodents aren’t just a fall and winter pest; they will take advantage of any food, water, and shelter that your home and property provide them throughout the year! Don’t let your summer be ruined by rodent problems; instead, learn how to prevent your home and property from being targeted by these furry pests this summer!

You may think that rodents would be happy living outside during the warmer months and have no desire to come inside your home, but the temperatures in our area can get extremely hot, driving rodents into our air-conditioned, temperature-controlled homes that provide shelter from the heat. Once inside, rodents can usually be found living in the attics, but during the summer months, it may become too hot for them to keep living there; however, cool basements and crawl spaces can make the perfect summer home for mice and other rodents.

To help prevent rodents from choosing your home and property to invade this summer, it is important to understand what attracts them to your property. Below is a list of a few things that can attract rodents to properties.

  • Unsecured garbage and compost piles
  • Fruit trees and vegetable gardens
  • Overgrown trees and shrubs
  • Woodpiles and other organic debris
  • Pet food that is left out between feedings

Once rodents have been attracted to your property, it is only a matter of time before they find an opening in the exterior of your home and enter inside to forage for the food and water sources that our homes provide; this is why it is important to make sure that exterior windows and doors close completely and have functioning screens in them, especially in the summer. A few other things you can do to help prevent rodent infestations include the following:

  • Sealing any cracks or openings found in the foundation of your home
  • Making sure that chimneys have tight-fitting caps on them
  • Repairing any holes found along your homes roof line and replacing any missing or broken roof shingles
  • Trimming back overgrown vegetation away from your home
  • Removing trash from your home regularly; washing dishes on a daily basis
  • Keeping outdoor trash cans a distance away from the exterior of your home and make sure they have locking lids on them
  • Keeping your basement and other storage areas in your home free of clutter in order to limit the places that rodents have to hide

Rodents are more than just nuisance pests, and keeping them off of your property, out of your home, and away from your family is important for many different reasons. Rodents leave trails of urine and excrement wherever they travel and will contaminate the surfaces of your home and food sources as they scurry around looking for food. Rodents also transmit serious diseases that can make people very ill, including hantavirus, leptospirosis and lymphocytic diseases, murine typhus, and salmonellosis. In addition, rodents can cause a lot of structural damage, introduce parasites, and create an unpleasant, musty odor inside homes. There are no positives to having rodents living on your property or inside of your home, which is why it important to quickly and completely eliminate rodents from your home.

If you are currently experiencing problems with rodents or would like to prevent problems with these dangerous and destructive pests this upcoming summer, give the rodent control experts at Russell’s Pest Control a call today. At Russell’s Pest Control, we offer ongoing home pest control programs that address rodent concerns and keep these pests and other household invaders away from homes and families throughout the entire year!

How To Keep Mice Out Of Your Tennessee Home This Fall

How To Keep Mice Out Of Your Tennessee Home This Fall

Have you ever dealt with mice in your home? Have you heard the chewing, scratching, and bumping noises inside your walls while you were trying to go to sleep? Have you seen the little black droppings in the backs of your kitchen drawers and cabinets? Or worse, have you actually seen a furry little critter running along the kitchen baseboard as you entered the room? If you have, we probably don’t have to tell how frustrating it can be to have mice. You know how they chew into packages, and leave a strong smell of urine in your pantry, storage areas, and attic spaces. It is no fun to have a mouse infestation.

Are you aware that, not only are mice a nuisance, they can actually be dangerous? It’s true. When mice find their way into your home, they can track in all kinds of filth. Before crawling around in your pantry, they may have walked through sewers, dumpsters, or a number of other bacteria-laden places. And, they also deposit urine and feces everywhere they go.

A few of the diseases mice are known to spread are lassa fever, leptospirosis, plague, and rat-bite fever. Mice can also bring mites, lice, fleas or ticks into your home. And, they never stop chewing on things. Never. If they accidentally chew on the wrong thing, like a live wire, it could spark a house fire.

What can you do to keep mice out of your home?

  • Keep your grass trimmed short and remove any overgrown areas. Mice hide in tall grass and weeds. Also, remove toys, cinder blocks, leaf piles, appliances, and other lawn clutter. If you have a wood pile, or stack of construction materials, store them as far from your home as possible, and get them up off the ground.

  • Remove food and water sources from your yard. Clean up after parties, don’t leave pet food out, protect areas where fruits or vegetables may be. M

  • ake sure your trash is secure inside cans with tight fitting lids. If you have bird feeders, keep them well away from your house.

  • Trim back any vegetation that touches your home. Mice and other pests use these as bridges to your home.

  • Inspect the outside of your house and seal up any gaps or cracks you find. Pay attention to areas around pipes, wires, air conditioning units, and other objects that pass through your foundation or walls.

  • Place wire mesh inside downspouts, and cover chimney or vent openings with screening to keep mice from climbing into these things.

  • Keep your house clean of any water sources or food particles, just in case a mouse does manage to get in.

  • Call in the assistance of a professional pest control company.

Here at Russel’s Pest Control, getting rid of mice–or keeping them out in the first place–is easy as pie, since our pest control technicians have a Category 7 certification for general pest and rodent control and wood-destroying organisms. Don’t let mice run amok in your home, get fast, efficient help from Russel’s Pest Control.

Fall Has Arrived, So Will The Mice

Fall Has Arrived

Fall has arrived. The temperatures outside may be attempting to fool you, but the calendar doesn’t lie. It is fall. This means (I hate to say it) that winter is just around the corner. While our love for the warm, sunny weather may cause us to embrace the idea that it is not and those above mentioned warm temperatures are encouraging our misconception, pests like mice are not fooled for even a minute. They know full well that winter is knocking on the door, and they have rallied their troops and put forth the ‘all hands on deck’ order. Mice realize that the wind and colder weather will soon be settling in, and they do not want to be caught in it. The top worry to occupy their little minds is finding shelter for the winter – and your home is the all-inclusive resort they are seeking.

As tempting as it is for you to adopt the ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it’ attitude, it is not the wisest choice for you to make. Remember that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” It is never a good idea to wait for the diseases and destruction that mice cause and react to them. When we react, we often over react, panic, and make hasty decisions – and it often comes with a much higher price tag not only where our health is concerned, but in repair and restoration costs. It is far better to think ahead and prevent an invasion and leave the germs and damage for someone else who is not prepared.

There are things that you can tackle right now that will help you to avoid hosting mice for the winter, including:

  • Inspect your home. Look for cracks and holes the size of a dime in foundations because that is all it takes for a mouse to squeeze in. Use caulk to fill these spaces. Also, check all exterior doors to be sure the door sweeps are correctly installed and in good working order. While you are at it, be sure to inspect screens on windows and screen doors. Make sure you check utility entrances and rooflines as well.

  • Clean, clean, clean. Do not give mice the food sources they are looking for. It doesn’t take much to sustain a mouse. Be sure to periodically clean under stoves and refrigerators. Also, check between these large appliances and the counters next to them and vacuum the crumbs that accumulate there. Carpeted areas need to be frequently vacuumed and so do couches and chairs. When you spill or drop food items, be sure that you clean them up right away, and do not allow dirty dishes to sit on counters, especially overnight. If you must put off this dreaded chore, leave those items soaking in soapy water in your sink.

  • Tidy the exterior. A mouse issue always begins with your yard. When you allow areas that will attract mice to your yard, you are also inviting them to search for a way into your home. Make sure garden areas are free from falling and decaying vegetables and fruit, keep mulch piles away from your home, and be sure to keep trash in canisters with locking lids. Also, be sure that all wood, leaves, and other debris are picked up on a regular basis. If mice find hiding spots, they will take full advantage of them.

  • Set up professional pest control services. Year-round pest control protection is the best and surest way to keep mice from using your home for theirs. When you partner with the trusted professionals here at Russell’s Pest Control, you can know that any existing mice will be removed, their nesting areas will be cleaned, and their access points will be addressed.

  • Don’t let time run out on you and neglect the important task of preventing pests like mice this fall. Let the team that has been fighting pest battles here in Tennessee since 1971 take care of that for you. Russell’s Pest Control, we are only a call or a click away!