The appearance of mice in the house does not bode well. In addition to the unpleasant odor, spoilage of products and property, there may be more serious troubles from mice. These animals are carriers of very dangerous diseases, for this reason it is necessary to start a war with rodents at the first signs of their presence next to a person. But first you need to study the enemy, to understand what he is, what reasons compelled him to settle nearby, how he will expand the scope of his presence, and what means of mice are most effective.
What do mice look like and what varieties do they have?
In the process of evolution, mice have mastered almost all corners of the planet, including the poles, where proximity with people helps them survive. These small animals belong to the order of rodents and are divided into a huge number of species. Some species of mice do not live near humans at all, preferring the natural habitat, but many species from the order of rodents are synatropic, which means the ability to exist both in the natural environment and next to humans, taking advantage of the many survival benefits that such a neighborhood brings with it . One of the most common sinatropic species is the house mouse. Adult individuals can have sizes from 6 to 20 cm. Some sinatropic species of rodents have decorative significance. In some countries, individual sinatropic species have become the subject of worship and worship. All of them can survive in the natural environment where their biological characteristics were formed.
Food preferences
The main pass to a person’s dwelling is omnivorous, which distinguishes all synatropic species from their relatives, able to live only in the wild. In the latter, food preferences are strictly limited by the conditions of their natural habitat. It has been observed that most of the synatropic species in the natural environment are smaller, have a longer period of reaching the ability to reproduce, and have smaller offspring, which may indicate a human influence on the evolutionary growth of the adaptability of mice to life in human living conditions.
Where do mice prefer to live, and where do they hide?
All sinatropic species of rodents prefer an anthropogenic habitat, where they are more likely to get food, protection and warmth. In the natural environment, these species have mainly a seasonal breeding cycle, but under the conditions that they can find next to humans, the breeding cycle becomes year-round. The cycle of daily activity of mice is similar to other types of gloomy and nocturnal animals, so they prefer to build nests in darkened places so that the space where the nest is built corresponds to the size of the mice themselves. These rodents build minks from any material found nearby. They especially love the fabric that can be pulverized to make a cozy and warm place for breeding offspring. Knowing the approximate localization sites of mouse nests, it is possible to effectively use various drugs from mice.
Mouse life span
In vivo, mice do not live longer than 1.5 years, but in human housing they can live for more than 2. In laboratories, subject to all favorable conditions for nutrition and reproduction, their life expectancy may be 3 years. Gerontological experiments on mice allowed to increase their lifespan up to 5 years.
The rate of reproduction of mice
Over the course of a life, a mouse on average can produce from 7 to 10 offspring, each of which can have up to 15 newborn mice. Due to the readiness of the rodent to conceive within a few hours after giving birth and a short period of gestation, these animals are able to breed exponentially. In laboratory conditions, these indicators can be higher at times.
Factors favorable to the appearance of mice, and the first signs of their presence
Mice leave behind an unpleasant odor, especially noticeable if the room has not been occupied for a long time and it is poorly ventilated. The most dangerous sign should be the appearance of mouse excrement in or near products, as well as traces of mouse teeth left on them. If mice begin to appear in the presence of humans, this means that they feel very comfortable and they have a large population. Favorable for mice are the following conditions:
- Easy access to products.
- The presence of dark places inaccessible to humans and other animals with a positive year-round temperature.
- The presence near the house of dilapidated and non-residential premises, as well as abandoned communications.
Means from mice and methods of struggle
Mice need to be treated like invaders who are exploring new territories. Rodent control should be conducted in two main areas:
- Destruction of mice using lethal means.
- Preventive measures aimed at eliminating the favorable conditions for their existence, as well as methods that do not kill mice, but force them to leave their nests.
There are many ways to kill mice, which can be divided into several main categories:
- Physical means, which include traps, traps and the use of natural predators.
- Chemical methods, which include the use of poisons, poison baits and spraying special aerosols.
- Folk remedies based on ingenuity and tradition.
Physical methods of killing mice
The physical remedies for rats and mice are traps and traps. There are many options for these devices, both factory-made and home-made. The principle of operation of such devices is very simple. The mouse, attracted by the smell of the bait, falls into a trap or a trap, after which a mechanism is activated that can kill or cripple the animal or lock it in local space without harming it.
The most effective remedy for mice, as well as the most technologically advanced is an electronic trap. It can be triggered by movement or vibration. Some devices of this type kill a mouse by electric current. The disadvantage of all traps and traps is the fact that the mouse has to be killed and then thrown away its corpse, which in itself may contain an infection. Using predators (cats) is also not a hygienic way to kill mice. Traps that do not kill mice are preferable in this regard, since rodents can simply be released away from home. The glue trap does not kill the mouse. You can apply special glue to the cardboard and scatter the bait nearby. Sticky mice can simply be thrown out with the cardboard, without killing them in the house.
Folk method of physical destruction of mice
This is a water trap that kills mice bloodlessly and which can be left for a long time.
- Pour half a bucket of water.
- Take a strip of cardboard and attach one edge to the bucket, and attach the bait to the other edge.
- Provide access to the edge of the bucket to which the strip of cardboard is attached. The mouse should climb there, go along the cardboard path to the bait, the path should bend under the weight of the mouse, after which the rodent will slip into the bucket and drown.
Chemicals for rats and mice
Modern chemicals provide a quick and reliable effect in the fight against mice. Poisoning substances are either put into the bait, or sprayed or applied to the places where rodents are likely to appear. There are reliable chemicals for mice. Rat Death bait is made on the basis of brodifacum, which blocks blood coagulation and causes suffocation. According to customer reviews of this drug, rodents in the last minutes of life tend to leave the places where they usually hide, and get out into the open air, which helps to avoid the death of mice in hard-to-reach places. A similar effect is possessed by such means as The Nutcracker, Zookumarin and Hunter Antigryzun, which differ only in the difference in additives to attract mice and rats. These drugs are relatively safe for residential use because they do not emit toxic fumes. Positive feedback has another poison - "Bactorodencid" - the action of which is based on infection through bait with mouse typhoid in the entire population. Microorganisms applied to cereal seeds are not dangerous for humans, but they are highly contagious within the rodent population. But there is an opinion according to which chemicals from mice cannot be considered a good option. Reviews of poisonous drugs are sometimes not so optimistic, since poisons are dangerous for humans and other animals, but their most serious drawback is that the rodent's death can occur at a time when it will be in an inaccessible place, and the need to get rid of the corpse will become apparent only after spreading the smell of decomposition around the house.
Deadly bait without the use of toxic substances
There is a folk remedy for mice without the use of poisons. You need to mix flour and lime in a ratio of 1 to 1, and then add a little salt. Having laid out the bait, put a drink next to it. Once in the digestive system of the mouse, such a bait, when interacting with water, will turn into an impassable blood clot, which will cause the death of the mouse. According to numerous reviews, such poison for mice is very effective, even if you use ordinary gypsum and a variety of baits.
Fighting mice with non-lethal means
All of the above methods are associated with the need to kill mice and get rid of their corpses. But even the most radical - chemicals from rats and mice - cannot guarantee the complete destruction of the entire population. There are methods that do not kill rodents, but drive them away, make them look for more convenient places for nests. Moreover, traps, traps and poison are not always effective in conditions of prolonged absence of a person, for example, in the country. Means from mice in the country should effectively protect the room for a long time. On the other hand, the abundance of murine carcasses underground is also an undesirable side effect.
There are modern highly effective means of mice - ultrasound. A person does not perceive it, but for a mouse it will be a terrible all-pervading roar, from which it is impossible to hide. Ultrasonic devices can be left turned on even after people leave, so that the mice will bypass the housing protected by ultrasound, side. This is the best remedy for mice.
Folk remedies chasing mice but not killing them
There is a folk recipe for fighting mice without the use of poisons and traps, which is very well suited as a prophylactic against mice in the country or in a private house. It is quite simple.
- To produce the required amount of anti-mouse herbs. All components can be found on the plot: seeds and chopped parts of black root, freshly cut elderberry branches, the shelf life of which can be increased by putting in water, several armfuls of dried wormwood, mint, tansy, rosemary and chamomile, as well as large lumps.
- Tightly close up all mouse holes and passages gnawed on the floor with a burdock. Add blackroot seeds to the burdock.
- Arrange on the floor in the cellar and basement branches of fresh elderberry.
- Place mint, tansy and chamomile in food storage areas.
- Leaves of Ledum are put in clothes, underwear, in any textile.
- Make small bundles of long stems of dry wormwood and spread them along the walls around the perimeter of the room.
All these folk remedies for mice in the house provide protection from mice for a long time, when people are forced to be absent for a long time, and they do not kill mice.