Mouse Control in Alaska Becomes Necessary Every Winter

Winter is coming, and the mice are ready to move in! Your home, especially your kitchen and attic, provides a welcome respite to small rodents looking for a warm spot. Even cold climates are not immune to these pests, and that is why mouse control in Alaska needs to start now. Here are six tips for reducing the invaders and keeping your home to yourself this holiday season:

• Close access points: Mice enter your home through any breach big enough for their heads. If your siding is separating or new holes develop, even quarter-inch cracks are large enough to let them in. Look around utility pipes and wire access points, since these provide ample access for the small critters looking to escape the cold. Never assume an opening is too small for them.
• Mesh and caulk are your friends: Cover these points with mesh, caulk or even quick-drying concrete. The last option is often your best bet, because mice cannot worry it out like they can with mesh or caulk. Use mesh for high, out-of-reach places like upper story holes or attic breaches that cannot be accessed safely with caulk or concrete. Adhere it to the opening as much as possible so you can put it past rodent ingenuity.
• Reduce food sources: Cat, dog and horse food are mice magnets. If you keep your grain storage or kitchen cluttered, that increases the chances of mice deciding your premises is not only warm, but also the location of a 24-hour banquet. Secure these areas and keep them clean, including the storage closets in your kitchen if you keep pet food in them. Purchase garbage cans with locking lids and clean up bird feeders when they spill. Food is an excellent incentive for mice to invade your home, so you want to remove this element.
• Control your foliage: Even here, landscaping can grow to impressive levels and give mice the perfect place to hide before they break into your home. Cutting back bushes and trees gives them fewer options to hide. This includes branches that reach into your upper stories, since mice and rats are willing to climb in order to find a way in. Remove these opportunities when you have a chance.
• Use locking storage boxes: If you are storing summer clothes in your attic, know that mice will love them for the nesting material. Cut off the access by storing clothes only in locking boxes. Never use cardboard boxes for attic storage, since the cardboard and your clothes will provide bedding. Many people have pulled boxes from attics only to find a bad surprise. Do not fall victim to this next spring.
• Keep pet cats inside: Your cat does not have to be a star mouser to keep mice out of your house. Their presence and scent is often enough to chase the critters away. Would you move into an area knowing there was a unique danger? Mice never want to take this risk either!