WINTER CRITTERS IN THE HOUSE

12.11.08

Judging from client complaints, house smells, chewing sounds, and dark "splotches" in ceiling corners or behind window curtains, mice, moles, chipmunks, and lady bugs are running, or flying, amok in homes this winter.

If you don't believe me, check in your kitchen counter drawers, kitchen cabinets that have food or chewable paper goods (nesting material), and behind curtains or up in ceiling-wall corners of certain rooms. If present, the evidence will be there. If not, consider yourself lucky.

On the mouse, rodent front, it is not likely that you have chipmunks INSIDE the house, but you certainly may have mice. Chipmunks and moles may indeed be in under the outer wall of your home however. They seem to love creating shelters behind your facades.

Solutions for mice vary from D-con to various types of mouse traps. D-con is problematical in that mice can die inside the home in walls, ducting, or other hard/impossible to find places. Also you must keep it beyond reach of any pets. Mouse traps, the old fashioned "snap-to-kill" kind are the best, but require a "strong constitution" to pick up and throw out. Havahart style traps are excellent but also require you to drive the living creatures far from your home. Dumping living mice outside, or close to your home, will probably result in your seeing the same ones, again. Often they may die from dehydration if not found within a day or so of capture, in which case removing them is easy. Peanut Butter is the best bait for whatever trap system you choose, but be careful setting the spring loaded snap traps!

The best solution for ladybug removal is the vacuum, although you may need to empty or change the bags if you smell an odor after "capture". Don’t squish them as they do smell.


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