what helps with mice problem?

[Dmitri]

i hope nobody have this issue. but if you can share any experience or tools you used in past that helped, please let us know.

 

[td_VP192]

We had one sneak in around this time last year. The guard on the bottom of our back door was made of strong plastic strings, almost like a thick broom. The mouse nawed its way in. We found shreds of these plastic strings.

I exchanged the door guard for a solid rubber one. I knew that would keep any other mice from coming in, but figured there had to be at least one in the store. It didn’t take long for me to find where it was hiding…

I found it in the paper tray of my fax/copy machine ! Needless to say when I went to put more paper in the tray that little bugger scared the crap out of me. It was an easy fix. We put a big box at the entry of the office door and scared the mouse into it and then tossed it back outside.

Thankfully that’s the only mice problem we’ve ever had.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Its that time of the year again when those little furry critters come looking for a nice warm place to spend their winter. The first thing to do is to find the point of entry and seal it closed, or address the problem as mentioned in the other post. Then, you can put out some glue boards to catch the offender(s). Glue boards are a good tool to use when you want to reduce the population in a hurry, or you might find yourself on TV like that Taco Bell, or was it a KFC? in New York city. In any case, you don’t want to be there. Next, you will want to get a couple of the mechanical Ketch-All traps and place them on both sides of the outside door(s) in the kitchen area. This will get and new tresspassers. Be sure to check the traps for occupancy daily. If you find an occupant, drop the entire trap, along with its occupant into a 5 gallon bucket of warm, soapy water. This both subdues the occupant and also washes any alarm scent from the trap, then you can dispose of the little fella in an appropriate manner and re-set the trap(s). Never put bait stations inside your building. Look around the outside of your building and remove any clutter, boxes, pallets, etc from anywheres near the building. If there is a trash container, move it well away from the building. Got shrubbery along side the building? Get rid of it and replace it with fine gravel. Rodents don’t like those wide open spaces so it wil encourage them to keep their distance and stay awway. I could probably go on and on, but this will get you started in the right direction. If you have a really severe problem you wil need to discuss it with your pest management company. Do not put out things like Decon or baited traps in your store.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[NicksPizza]

We have used live traps with some success in non-food, non-prep storage areas (baited with a crouton and peanut butter). Again, I have to check every day for inhabitants. It may not meet health code, so check with your exterminator or health official in your area.

Sealing the outside holes cannot be over emphasized. Walk your shop looking for any tiny place where little guys can squeeze though. Fill holes with something like a concrete patch compound . . . actual concrete/cement is even better as vinyl can be gnawed through. It is amazing what little holes they would come through in my old shop . … along the gas pipes and into the kitchen.

 

[wiseguy]

NicksPizza:

It is amazing what little holes they would come through in my old shop…along the gas pipes and into the kitchen.

They say that whatever their heads can fit through…so can the rest of them.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

One of the things to keep in mind is that when you bait a trap you are putting out an attractant for the “little guys” which can have the undesired affect of drawing them to your area. What we try to teach people to do is to use the rodents traits to work against them. In this case we position traps right alongside, and touching an object, such as a wall. They will walk along the wall for security (this is why you will seldon ever see a rodent crossing the center of a room or open space), then when they come to the trap, such as a Ketch-All, their natural curiosity takes over, and they just can’t help but to explore that nifty opening in the side of that metal box, after all, in their mind, that might be a good harborage for them, and that’s what their life is all about, or if its a pregnant female, she might think its a great place to have her litter, they enter, and soon become history. No bait required. When scared, they will leave a warning scent to alert other of the potential danger. This is why its important to wash the traps after a catch, if you don’t, its like putting a giant DO NOT ENTER - EXTERME DANGER sign at the opening for all other rodents to see. Remember, they read with their noses.
About those openings, you are absolutely right, if you can put a finger into the hole, a rodent can get through it. And lastly, the rule for determining the rodent population that there are ten for everyone that you see.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[PIZZAMAGOO]

I have also heard that putting steel wool into the hole before you patch it helps. I guess when they try to gnaw through the next time it just cuts up their mouth. Good luck getting rid of the little critters.

 

[ADpizzaguy]

walk around your building and look for any points of entry, seal them up. before you do put steel wool in the hole. If the mice chew through the stuff you used to seal the hole, they will stop once they get to the steel wool. This actually works, great advice from the pest control guy I used once. Also make sure your doors have no gaps in them, mice can squeeze into an opening of 1/4 inch. Put the weather strips guards on the doors. Keep your doors closed as much as possible. One thing pests hate is change. What are the mice going after? put any thing they might want to eat inside plastic containers. Make sure those containers are sealed when not getting the product out of them. Eliminate any sources of standing water. Make impossible for the critters to eat and drink. Sometimes points of entry are the back door, sometimes it is where wiring or plumbing is going into the building, could be cracks in the foundation. When you walk around your building, be thorough, spend twenty to thirty minutes looking at every inch of your building. You can always set traps, just make sure they get checked several times a day. If you do all of that, you should be able to eliminate your pest problems.

 

[lilian]

are you in the country cause i used to have a business in the country and these creatures at this time of year popular keep your doors closed