Rodents

The house mouse has large ears and is light brown to dark grey, with a lighter colour on its belly. It is often found in urban areas. The deer mouse is brown or grey with a white belly and feet. The white colour on the underside of its tail is an easy way to spot a deer mouse. It may invade buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall.

Mice are carriers of disease, and can damage property. The deer mouse is the most common carrier of the deadly hantavirus.

Scampering and scratching sounds in the walls of your home at night, signs of gnawing or chewing, or damaged food packages can mean you have an infestation of mice. Other signs include droppings and urine, burrows or holes in and around foundation walls, or tracks on dusty surfaces.

Mice and rats are prolific breeders. Tackle the problem of occasional invaders right away to avoid a severe infestation.

Prevention

Prevention is key in controlling mouse problems in your home.

Rodent-proof your home

The first line of defence is to get rid of easy entry points. Mice can squeeze through cracks as small as a dime, while rats can enter through a quarter-sized hole. Even the small gaps created by worn thresholds under doors will allow mice access to your home.

• Use metal weather stripping under doors, and weather strip windows.
• Patch cracks in foundations.
• Stuff steel wool around pipes before caulking or plastering.
• Cover dryer vents, attic vents, and soffits with fine mesh metal screening.

Make your home less appealing to rodents

• Remove cozy nesting sites in unused clutter around your house and garage.
• Cut tall grass and weeds back from your house.
• Secure garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Raise woodpiles about 30 centimetres (1 foot) off the ground. Place them away from your house.
• Never place fatty or oily food waste, eggs, or milk products in the composter.
• Use a layer of heavy metal mesh between the soil and the bottom of the composter.
• Eliminate water sources (like leaky taps, sweating pipes, and open drains).
• Keep your kitchen clean. Store dry food and dry pet food in metal or glass containers.

Cleaning

• Use caution when near urine and droppings:
• Wear rubber gloves and a dust mask during cleanup.
• Dampen droppings and debris with a solution of bleach and water before wiping up.
• Wear gloves to dispose of dead mice.
• Double bag the bodies mice in plastic bags and put in a garbage bin with a secure lid.
• Wash hands and exposed clothing thoroughly after clean-up, and separate from other laundry.
• Never sweep or vacuum dry droppings. The dust that is raised can cause illness.