Food Is Not the Only Thing Mice Are Looking For

Whenever we read about pest control or preventing rodent infestation, we almost always see advice about keeping our houses free of food sources. This involves cleaning up any stray crumbs and food remnants, as well as securing garbage cans and pet food containers. “Eliminate the food source, and your rodent problems will disappear.” Is it really that simple?

Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter is a song by the Rolling Stones, and it could also be the mission statement for the mice in your house. Food is important, certainly. But what good is a food source if you’re freezing to death? The number one reason mice end up occupying a house is shelter from the elements. They can venture out to find food at any time, but having a warm dry place is their most important goal. Any tiny crack or gap can be an entry point for mice to take up residence inside your house, and mice like warm places.

Escape From Predators

The survival instinct in wild animals includes food, shelter, and not getting eaten by something bigger. If a mouse, which is not at the top of the food chain, finds itself in danger of being eaten, it needs somewhere to hide – somewhere safe from larger predators. Inside your walls is a perfect place for survival. Tight spaces are too small for predators to enter, and a mouse’s chances of survival go up dramatically if it’s living in a fortress. With no natural predators inside your house (with the exception of your cat or dog), a mouse population can explode.

Preventing Infant Mortality

Small creatures survive and create future generations mostly through large amounts of reproduction. In the normal state of the food chain, small species normally lose a fair amount of their population due to predators, and the young, defenseless animals are especially vulnerable. So they make up for that in sheer volume.

As mice seek food, they also seek shelter and safety. Your house provides all of these desirable conditions. When you call Mice Mob Exterminators to address your mouse situation, we consider all these factors, and ensure your home is pest-free.