Pest Control: Getting Rid of Mice

Pest control in New York City is, unfortunately, often an essential part of living in the Big Apple. While many of the newer buildings are better at keeping rodents and insects out, the older buildings have had years of dealing with the onslaught of these unwanted tenants. And when it comes to unwanted tenants, mice may be the most hated of them all. Mice are insidious creatures, working their way into walls and floors and ceilings, eating their way through wood and plaster and wire, and leaving a trail of excrement wherever they go. Mice are very difficult to exterminate because of their fast rate of reproduction, and they can be extremely hazardous to health.

Weapons to Use against Mice

The following list contains some of the tools you can use to exterminate or eradicate mice from your home or apartment:

1. Cats: Some cats are really good mousers, others aren’t. If you can find a cat adept at catching mice, you have got yourself a real winner. One idea is to pick up a stray that has been fending for itself; there are potential problems with this (socialization or disease) but a cat used to catching mice is likely to retain the hunting skills. Be aware that cats that catch and eat mice should be wormed often.
2. Traps: This is a broad category, ranging from the old fashioned snap traps that you see on vintage cartoons to the new electrical “zap traps” that kill a rodent with a burst of electrons. Snap traps are inexpensive and effective, though you do have to be careful where you place them so that children or pets do not inadvertently set off the trap. The same goes for glue traps, which capture a rodent with a gluey floor. The difference is that snap traps usually kill the rodent instantly (perhaps leaving a small mess) while glue traps often leave the rodent alive so that you have to dispose of a mouse that doesn’t know it’s dead yet. Electrical traps are more humane, in that they kill instantly, and also have the advantage of zero mess and easy disposal. Electrical traps are also reusable. Lastly, there are traps which secure the rodent in a box so that you can set it free into the wild. While these traps seem the most humane, you have to be careful not to let the rodent out too close to your house or it will find its way back.
3. Poison: Poison is the ultimate way of getting rid of rodents; it is effective and devastating on a rodent population. The upside is that it is cheap and effective. The downside is that it is, well, poisonous. Children or animals ingesting the stuff may get very sick or die. There are poison traps that only allow small rodents space enough to enter and ingest, and these may be your best bet, but they are still best placed where little fingers and claws can’t reach.

Pest control in New York City is a challenge, and you may wish to have a professional come in and fix the problem for you. Once you have rid yourself of mice, try to stop up any hole where a mouse can get into the house. While this may seem impossible, it is the only way to permanently rid yourself of the creatures.