Ban winter rodents from your home

Fall is near. Leaves are turning colors. Squirrels are storing nuts, and mice and rats are looking for the best way to get into your home for the winter. A University of Georgia wildlife expert says your home doesn’t have to become a rodent resort.

“Mice and rats can enter your house through openings as small as a dime,” said Michael Mengak, a UGA Cooperative Extension specialist with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “Closing their entry holes is one of the most effective ways to prevent mice and rats from becoming a pest in your home."

Most important, get rid of any places where mice and rats can hide and reproduce. Remove trash, old boards, weeds, brush piles, rock piles, firewood and other junk from your home, garage and property, Mengak said.

Keep garbage in tightly covered cans. Feed dogs and cats from dishes, and take up uneaten food. Use squirrel guards to deter rats and mice from feeding from bird feeders. Don’t pile wood against the house, and store firewood at least a foot off the ground.

Make sure patio and garage doors stay closed, seal openings under doors, and cover windows with one-quarter-inch mesh wire screen, he said.

Cement or caulk around pipes (gas, water, hose or air conditioning drains) and wires (phone, cable and TV). Cover clothes dryer vents, but allow for adequate airflow. Clean them regularly to remove lint that could be a fire hazard.

Seal small holes and cracks by stuffing them with steel wool and caulking over them.

Why is it so important to keep the rodents at bay? Rats and mice can carry fleas and ticks and transmit bacteria and diseases. They can spoil food, too, and eat crops, stored grains, birdseed and pet food.

“Rats and mice have poor eyesight but excellent senses of smell, taste and touch,” Mengak said. “They usually hide during the day and come out at night. If you see one, you can be sure there are many more you haven’t seen.”

Three species like to live indoors, and all three can be found in Georgia. They are the house mouse, the Norway rat and the roof rat.

House mice are three inches long, not including the tail, which doesn’t have fur.

Rats are much larger and can be up to a foot long, not including the tail.

Norway rats are also called brown rats, house rats, barn rats, sewer rats, gray rats or wharf rats. They are heavy bodied and weigh more than a pound. Their ears do not reach past their eyes. Their fur is usually brown or reddish gray, and they are not good climbers.

Roof rats, also known as black or ship rats, are sleek with ears that extend past their eyes. They weigh between 5 ounces and 10 ounces. Their fur can be brown or black. They are good climbers.

For more information on rats and mice, visit the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ publication, “Rats and Mice: Get Them Out of Your House and Yard,” at pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C970/C970.html.

Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia

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Peppermint Offers Safe, Non-toxic Deterrent to Mice

NF Note: Mice can produce up to 13 litters per year. That's a whole lot of potential pitter patter of little feet on the floor- not to mention the screams piercing the air when the owners of those little feet are seen. Peppermint? Who knew? Sounds like a great and tempting idea to try.

(ARA) - The scurrying of tiny mice feet on a kitchen floor, or the not-so-subtle droppings in the corner of the living room are enough to make even the most unflappable homeowners shudder and launch into a frantic search for the mice that have invaded their home.

As the weather turns cooler, mice begin to seek cozier surroundings -- including our homes. That was the case with Paula Rohach, who discovered one day that an unwanted rodent had made itself at home in the house she shares with her husband and children.

“I first noticed the mouse while I was folding laundry in our basement,” Rohach says. “It was racing along the back wall and scampered behind a loose floor board. I dropped my laundry and ran upstairs. It completely surprised me and concerned me too because I didn’t know how many other mice were there.”

Since its introduction to the country via seaport towns, the house mouse has become widespread throughout the United States. Even seemingly well-sealed homes are susceptible to mice during the fall and winter months. Mice are excellent swimmers and climbers. They are able to jump higher than a foot off the floor and can squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 of an inch -- roughly the diameter of a pencil.

Although Rohach was able to eventually get rid of the mouse in her house, it took a good deal of work. She finally succeeded by trapping and poisoning the little critter. But it concerned her to use these poison baits, because she has two daughters and also owns a cat.

“I was scared that the kids or the cat might get their hands onto the poison trap,” she says. “Who knows what could have happened then?”

Fortunately there is a natural alternative to toxic and potentially dangerous solutions. Natural peppermint essential oil (also known as “oil of peppermint”) offers a safe, effective and humane way to discourage these damaging and potentially disease-carrying rodents from entering homes.

“Although humans find the scent pleasing, mice are repelled by the aroma of natural peppermint essential oil,” says Mindy Seiffert, senior brand manager for Aura Cacia. “The oil drives mice away without the danger of poisoning pets or young children. Also, it creates a very pleasant atmosphere for people living in the home. Peppermint has a distinctive, sweet, menthol aroma that can be both energizing and soothing.”

To discourage mice from entering your home, Seiffert recommends putting a few drops of peppermint essential oil on cotton balls and placing them around the house. Homeowners can also sprinkle the oil directly on floors and walls and items, or make a scented spray with two teaspoons of oil per cup of water.

Seiffert encourages strongly scenting areas where mice might enter homes or hide, such as underneath stairs or in a basement. Also, mice prefer to run alongside walls, so it’s effective to scent the perimeter of rooms as well.

The peppermint will remain an effective repellent as long as the scent lingers. This varies according to conditions, but it will generally last two to three weeks.

Half-ounce and two-ounce bottles of pure essential peppermint oil are available from Aura Cacia at natural product retailers nationwide and at www.auracacia.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content