As temperatures drop during the winter months, mice seek warmth, food, and shelter indoors, turning Maryland homes into their personal nesting grounds. These unwelcome guests are more than just a nuisance—they reproduce rapidly, contaminate food, and can spread harmful diseases to humans and pets.
Worse yet, once mice settle in, they can be incredibly difficult to eliminate. Understanding the signs of an infestation early on can help you take swift action before the problem escalates.
With that said, prevention is always the easiest strategy to eliminate pests like mice from your home. Here are seven of our most helpful prevention tips to keep mice out of your house this winter.
1. Seal Entry Points
Mice can access a home through even the tiniest cracks and crevices, so it’s important to ensure you’re sealing all possible entry points. You can do this by applying store-bought caulk or sealant to any holes that mice can squeeze through. You can also use steel wool to fill any holes in your walls and floors or spray foam for larger holes.
2. Eliminate Food Sources
One of the biggest reasons mice will infest a home is to seek food and water sources. To prevent these pests from invading your home this winter, properly seal and store all your food and drinks.
Be sure to sweep under hard-to-reach areas for crumbs and other food debris, and always ensure that garbage cans are properly sealed.
It is also a good idea to get rid of any standing water in your home by repairing leaking pipes and faucets.
3. Keep Your Home Clean and Clutter-Free
Mice thrive in cluttered places, as it gives them more room to hide and more materials with which to build their nests. By keeping your home clean and clutter-free, you will have less of a chance of encountering a mouse infestation this winter.
Be sure to declutter areas in your basement or attic where you tend to store goods, as these are common mouse-dwelling spaces.
4. Use Mice Repellents
Many store-bought mice repellents are available if you prefer a DIY approach. Mouse traps and baits are the most effective, but require strategic placement away from people and pets, but where mice commonly dwell.
Many homeowners also experiment with essential oils and ultrasonic sound repellents, though they don’t work as well as bait stations.
It is important to note that DIY solutions are not as effective as hiring a professional exterminator when it comes to getting rid of mice. Rodent control requires long-term monitoring.
5. Set Traps in Key Locations
If you choose to set mouse traps in your home, it is important that you put them in key locations. You will want to set your traps in areas of your home where mice activity is highest, such as in the kitchen, attic, and basement.
Once your traps are set, you’ll want to check on them once a day to monitor how many mice you’re catching and adjust your trap placement if needed.
6. Maintain Proper Landscaping
This tip should really be started in the fall. Overgrown grass and foliage can give mice more places to hide, which is why homes that are not properly landscaped are more likely to encounter a mouse problem. Regularly cutting your grass and trimming your foliage is an important step to prevent mice from infesting your property and your home.
7. Consult a Pest Control Professional
When dealing with an infestation of any kind, it is always best to contact a pest control professional to take care of the problem.
Professional exterminators are trained to perform detailed inspections and determine the specific kind of pest you’re dealing with, as well as recommend the best plan of action to kill the pests in your home. Mice are notoriously difficult to get rid of, which is why you’ll want to hire a trusted exterminator to get the job done safely and effectively.
Common Mice in Maryland
Two of the most common mice found in Maryland are house mice and deer mice. House mice are typically on the smaller side, growing no more than 5 inches in length. They have small, black eyes and brown or grey fur. Deer mice are slightly larger, measuring in at 7 inches in length. They are also brown or grey in color but have white fur on their bellies.
House mice are slightly more common in homes and are typically what you picture when you imagine what a mouse would look like.
Signs of a Mouse Infestation
There are several telltale signs of a mouse infestation to be on the lookout for this winter. Mice are small but leave behind noticeable evidence of their presence. Some of the most common indicators include:
- Rodent droppings – Small, dark, and pellet-shaped droppings are often found in areas where mice are active, such as kitchen cabinets, pantries, and along baseboards.
- Nesting materials – Mice build their nests using shredded paper, fabric, insulation, and other soft materials. You may have an infestation if you find small piles of these materials tucked away in corners, inside drawers, or behind appliances.
- Gnaw marks – Mice have strong teeth that continuously grow, so they gnaw on various surfaces to keep them in check. Look for bite marks on food packaging, wooden furniture, baseboards, and even electrical wiring, which can create a fire hazard.
- Rodent tracks – Mice leave behind footprints and tail marks in dusty areas like basements, attics, and along floor edges. You can check for tracks by sprinkling a thin layer of flour or baby powder in suspected areas and looking for disturbances.
- A strong, musky odor – An established mouse infestation often emits a distinctive smell caused by their urine and nesting areas. This odor may be more noticeable in enclosed spaces like cupboards or wall cavities.
- Scratching noises – If you hear faint scratching, rustling, or scurrying sounds coming from behind walls, ceilings, or floors—especially at night—mice may be nesting inside your home.
- Seeing live or dead mice – Spotting a mouse, whether alive or dead, is a clear sign of an infestation. Since mice are nocturnal and generally avoid humans, seeing them during the day could indicate a large population.
If you notice one or more of these signs, it’s important to act quickly to prevent further damage and potential health risks associated with a mouse infestation.
When to Call an Exterminator
It is imperative that you contact an exterminator at the first sign of a mouse infestation. These pests can spread disease and contaminate food and should be handled by a trusted and experienced exterminator to ensure the infestation is being handled properly.
At Pest Czar, we offer rodent control programs, as well as residential pest control plans that include mouse control to keep homes safe from mice and other pests all year round. Contact us today for more information!
FAQs
What are the most common entry points for mice?
The most common entry points for mice include cracks and crevices in a home’s foundation, attics, gaps in windows and doors, and openings around roof eaves.
What do mice make their nests out of?
Mice make their nests out of random materials around them, most commonly paper, fabric, insulation, plant material, and stuffing from mattresses and pillows. Seeing piles of random materials around the home is often the first sign of a mouse infestation.
How often should I set traps to monitor for mouse activity?
If you’re setting traps to monitor mouse activity in your home, you will want to check them every day. By doing this, you will be able to assess high-traffic areas in your home and adjust your trap placement accordingly.