Solving a mouse problem isn’t as simple as setting a few traps. I realized that while vacuuming up droppings days after strategically placing peanut butter-covered traps around my apartment. That’s when I decided to call the Masters for my pest control needs, like so many other Tri-State residents had done before. The vacuuming didn’t stop with a phone call, however. Beyond addressing the infestation itself, Masters Pest Control’s professionals showed me the extent of the problem and what steps I needed to take to prevent it from recurring.
The service itself couldn’t have been easier. My appointment was made within a few minutes, and that Saturday, a pest control technician was advising me as to which treatment he recommended. Because I have no children or pets, the choice was simple: discreet black boxes containing poison bait, as opposed to the nonpoisonous alternatives. Over the course of about thirty minutes, these boxes were placed throughout my apartment, the vacant downstairs apartment (the former occupant of which had attracted the mice, as readers of my previous guest blog will remember), and the basement. The visit ended with two follow up appointments being scheduled.
Early in that half hour visit, however, the technician identified the paths the mice had been following. With each corner, cabinet, and cranny examined, more droppings were discovered and more vacuuming performed. In just minutes spent in my apartment, this technician spotted signs of mice which I had likely overlooked for months.
Not everything he found could be resolved with poison or a Dust Buster. Throughout the visit, my technician pointed out gaps through which the mice were passing through walls and traveling from one floor to the other. Most of these surrounded pipes, but they were also found under baseboards and around my staircase.
After placing the last of the boxes in the basement, the technician found where the mice had entered: a gap near the foundation, conveniently concealed behind my garbage cans. Yes, I write pest control blogs and forgot that the most basic advice for preventing a mouse problem is to keep garbage cans a short distance from the home.
I spent Sunday with my landlords. As they sealed up points of entry, I crawled around my apartment using a pocket knife to cram steel wool (perhaps the one material mice won’t chew) into the gaps the technician had identified.
During my first follow up visit, a new technician – who was every bit as friendly and helpful as the first – examined the boxes and found nibble marks on the bait. By the second follow up, a third, equally friendly technician informed me there was no sign of mice.
I’m happy to say that my apartment has been mouse free for over a week, now. If you’re hearing scratching in your walls and floor or keep having to get out the vacuum, request a quote by clicking here. After a brief phone call and a nonintrusive first visit, you’ll have a solution and will know how to prevent a future invasion.