In New Jersey and many other places around the country, mice are four-season pests that infiltrate residential homes all throughout the year. However, the typical habits of these rodents make them more likely to be seen during certain months. “Mice season” is considered to be the time when the weather cools off, and rodents start searching for warm and cozy places to live for the winter.

So, what season are mice most active? Here’s what we’ve learned from over 30 years in the pest control industry.

Most Common Times for Mouse Activity 

Mice are most active at night because this is the best time to avoid predators and danger. You’ll typically find mice hiding during the daytime hours unless they are looking for food or water. Mice activity tends to pick up when the weather first starts getting cold. This occurs in the U.S. during the fall or the beginning of winter.

Why Mouse Activity Shifts with the Seasons

Mice are in tune with the temperature and know that winter means harsher conditions and greater difficulty finding resources to stay warm and healthy. In the autumn, mice start preparing for the winter and filling their bellies with more food to sustain themselves. Food is more scarce during the winter, and water sources may freeze and be inaccessible.

Rodents often start making their way back outside between March and May, when the outside conditions are more favorable, and when they don’t need to rely on your house as much for shelter and resources. The summer season may also bring an increase in mouse activity; however, if the mice in your home have been breeding and new baby mice are being born.

How to Prevent Mice Year-Round

We recommend looking into mice control solutions by the summer of each year at the latest to prepare you for the seasonal shifts ahead. We offer 10 percent off for new annual contracts and use an integrated pest management system to eliminate mice and provide control and protection for a wide range of pest problems. Seasonal home inspections can make a big difference in stopping minor mice concerns before they become significant issues.

A preventive approach is the best approach for handling the season when mice are most active. There are certain places in homes where mice gravitate, such as attics, garages, sheds, basements, and kitchen pantries. Anywhere you store food or trash should be checked frequently for evidence of mice, such as the smell of urine, fecal droppings, scurrying noises, and grease marks. To prevent future rodent infestations at any time of  the year, store all food in airtight containers, seal up cracks and holes around your home, reduce household clutter, and periodically check for damage in mouse-prone areas of your house.

What to Do with a Seasonal Mice Infestation

Although the fall season is when mice are most active coming into your home, spring is also a very active time for mice because this is when they head back outdoors after the winter. If you notice an increase in mice activity, contact Precise Termite & Pest Control immediately to assess the problem’s severity. We offer free home inspections and employ experienced exterminators who understand mice activity and know the best approaches for mouse control.

Without an effective way to keep mice away from your home, you could put your house at risk of structural damage and your family at risk of getting infected with dangerous diseases. Our professional mice control strategies come with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, and we take great pride in our fast response times.

Contact us at 866-971-2847 to learn more!

Scratching, scurrying, and squeaking from behind your walls are telltale signs that you have a mouse problem. Mice often seek shelter in walls because they offer warmth from our harsh weather conditions in New Jersey. Cracks in your home’s foundation, holes in the siding, and gaps around doors and windows can be potential entry points for mice to enter your walls. Once inside, mice are excellent climbers and can scale walls and access other parts of your house as well. Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a dime, and getting them out can be very difficult without professional help.

In this article, we discuss the issue of mice in walls and how to get rid of mice in walls quickly and effectively.

The Problem with Mice in Walls

Mice entering your walls can cause structural damage and chew through electrical wiring. Mice breed quickly, meaning that just a few mice can become a full-blown infestation before you know it. There is a risk of mice contaminating your food supply and bringing fleas, lice, or other troublesome pests into your home.

Mice often hide during the daytime and come out at night to look for food. When the sun goes down and you go to bed, they become more active and can leave greasy tracks behind as they move. You may also find nests made of soft materials in your walls and fecal droppings around your walls if you have a mouse problem.

Preventing Mice in Walls

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent mice from getting into your walls in the first place with a few easy steps. Keep food sources away from the walls of your home, especially pet food bowls. Ensure food is stored in airtight containers, and avoid leaving fruit and snacks lying on countertops. Sealing any cracks, gaps, or holes in your walls is also helpful to prevent mice from entering them. You can purchase mice deterrent products from a hardware store or use peppermint essential oil combined with water in a spray bottle to spread around a scent that mice hate.

 How to Get Rid of Mice in Walls

An initial DIY approach to having mice in walls is to set traps to kill the mice upon contact. Many people choose lethal traps rather than poison baits so that mice do not die inside the walls and begin to decay, causing noxious odors and increasing your disease risk. Rodenticides can be dangerous to use in a home with children and pets, and some mice are actually resistant to these types of poisons, making them mildly effective at best. Drilling a hole in the drywall near the floor may be necessary to lure mice outside with traps.

Get Professional Extermination Help

However, the best way to get rid of mice in walls is to call the extermination professionals at Precise Termite & Pest Control because of how tricky they are to remove from these areas. Mice infestations in walls are incredibly challenging because DIY attempts often result in creating multiple holes in your walls to get them out. To minimize damage to your home and ease your stress, we offer expert mice control and prompt mice removal services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

For your free mice in walls inspection, please contact us online or call us at 866-971-2847.

Certain scents attract mice to indoor spaces, such as sweet fruits, pet food, meat, and greasy food. The reason why people put peanut butter and cheese in mouse baits is because mice love these scents.

But on the other hand, what scents do mice hate, and what smells will keep mice away? Here are some items you can place around your house to deter mice based on their sense of smell.

Vinegar

Many people already have a bottle of vinegar in the house, so this is an easy DIY remedy for mice. Vinegar has a powerful smell, and you can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this purpose. One idea is to soak cotton balls in vinegar and place them in areas where you think rodents are getting inside. Vinegar can also be used to clean areas that have been affected by rodents.

Citronella

Most people think of mosquitoes with citronella, but some also use it to eliminate mice. The strong smell can be too much for mice to handle, keeping both pests away from your home and property. You can find citronella in the form of sprays, candles, pouches, essential oils, and live plants.

Mothballs

Mothballs prevent moths from eating clothing but may also help keep mice away. The balls contain naphthalene, a substance that mice despise. However, this idea comes with some warnings because studies suggest that naphthalene can also be toxic to humans with excessive or prolonged exposure, causing issues with your lungs and the tissues in your nasal canal.

Cinnamon

Even though you may love the smell of cinnamon in holiday drinks and baked goods, mice don’t feel the same way. The spicy aroma of cinnamon can deter mice while being a pleasant scent for you to have around the house. To use cinnamon as a mouse-deterrent, hide cinnamon sticks under furniture and inside cabinets and drawers.

Mint

Mice are not fans of mint, which is why some people use peppermint oil to keep mice away. Peppermint oil is a heavily concentrated form of the scent, so it may be more effective than just having a live mint plant growing in your home. However, the oil can irritate your skin, so be careful while handling it. Alternatively, you can rub some mint toothpaste along baseboards and around cracks in your home to discourage them from entering.

Chili Powder and Oil

Anyone who has tried spicy food can attest to the fact that chili powder is a lot to handle. For a more concentrated version of this spice, you can also try chili oil around your home to deter mice.

What to Do When Scent-Deterrents Don’t Work

If you have tried a few scent-deterrents to address your mice problem and it’s not working, it’s time to call Precise Termite & Pest Control. We have been keeping Northern New Jersey mice-free for over 30 years and understand the different kinds of mice, the diseases they carry, and the damage they can cause.

Our professional extermination methods go far beyond just adding scents around your home, and we can use a combination of techniques depending on your situation, such as trapping and exclusion. Please get in touch with us at 866-971-2847 for your free mice inspection today!

Common signs that you have mice in your home are fecal droppings on countertops, scurrying sounds in the ceiling, and food boxes that have been gnawed through. But you may notice these signs without ever seeing actual mice running around. This situation leads many people to ask questions about when mice are most active and how to target them in the most timely and effective way.

Here are some tips from the mice extermination experts at Precise Termite & Pest Control to help you get rid of the mice in your house for good during the day or at night.

Are Mice Nocturnal?

The term “nocturnal” means being active at night rather than during the daytime hours. However, mice are not totally nocturnal because they are active during both the day and night. Mice are more active after the sun goes down, but that doesn’t mean they sleep all day either.

What Time Do Mice Come Out?

Mice are most active between dusk and dawn, but their peak activity typically takes place just after dusk. The exact time varies depending on when the sun sets during a particular season. Mice living inside a home usually become most active within the first 30 to 60 minutes after human activity subsides. For example, if everyone in your household is in bed by 10:00 pm, you can expect mice to start moving around by around 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm.

Why Mice Like the Nighttime

The evening hours are attractive to mice for several reasons. They have better protection from predators when there is less light. Mice generally do not have the best eyesight compared to other animals. However, their eyes are sensitive to light, and they may feel more comfortable foraging for food and seeking shelter in low-light conditions.

Like other animals, mice use all of their senses to navigate their way through a home and residential property. They don’t need a lot of light to find their way around because they rely heavily on their senses of sound, smell, and touch.

Timing Your Mice Removal Strategy Right

Mice tend to sleep up to 12 hours per 24-hour period, primarily during the daytime. You may have the best success catching mice when they are foraging for food, typically right around sunset and right after you go to bed. First thing in the morning is another great time to catch mice because they may be foraging then to find some final food scraps before household activity picks up and the sunlight becomes brighter.

Professional Pest Control at Any Time

Catching mice is more challenging than you might expect, so if you want to time it right and catch all of them in your house, you need Precise on your side. We offer mice control services to help New Jersey residents deal with their mice problems whenever they arise – day or night.

We’ll handle all the details of mice extermination so that you can rest easy and have peace of mind that your home is safe, clean, and mice-free. Using the most effective and humane techniques in the extermination industry today, our team will target mice when they are most active to produce the best and quickest results.

For your free mice inspection or to ask any questions, please call us at 866-971-2847 or fill out our online form.

Mice are resilient little rodents who seem to be able to live just about anywhere, such as attics, basements, walls, and kitchen pantries. But one place that many people don’t think about mice taking up residence is the couch. There’s something very unsettling about the thought of mice hanging out where you sit to relax and cuddle up with a book or watch TV. But mice in couch problems definitely exist, and we’re here to help when they happen to you.

Can Mice Live in Couches?

The short answer to this question is yes, mice can live in couches and make their homes among the soft cushions here. Some homeowners have taken DIY approaches to rodent control and thought they had a mice issue handled when they stopped seeing them in familiar areas. However, little did they know that the mice had migrated to the couch and started to destroy a valuable piece of furniture that they previously believed to be safe, clean, and comfortable.

Why Mice Like Couches

Couches are attractive places for mice, just like they are among our favorite places to spend time as humans. Couches are filled with soft materials that are cozy and make excellent nesting materials. The inside of couches are hidden away from the outside world and the humans and pets that may disturb them. It’s also a great place for pregnant female mice to have their babies and keep them safe and warm. If you have a habit of snacking on your couch, mice will find those tiny crumbs between the cushions and have their own little feast from your leftovers!

How to Identify a Mice Nest in Couch

One of the most common signs of a mice nest in a couch is mice droppings, which are fecal pellets left behind from these unwanted couch residents. A single mouse can create dozens of droppings per day, which will be noticeable when you rotate your couch cushions or remove them to vacuum your couch.

Other signs of mouse activity in your couch are gnawed portions of fabric, the smell of urine, and bits of stuffing on the floor. If you are quiet, you may even hear squeaking or scratching noises coming from your couch when you are not sitting on it.

We Can Get Rid of Mice in Your Couch

If you have noticed signs of mice in the couch or have any sneaking suspicions that they are living here, don’t live another day in these troublesome conditions. Precise Pest Control is the go-to source for mouse control in Northern New Jersey, and we are in the business of helping people get mice out of their couches for good.

Our professionally trained exterminators know the best ways to remove mice from couches so that you can assess the damage and make the best decision about your furniture. The longer you wait to take action, the more damage mice can cause in a couch. If you catch the problem early, you may be able to have the couch cleaned and repaired so that you don’t have to buy a brand-new couch and put a strain on your budget.

Then, going forward, we can provide you with helpful tips about how to keep mice from getting into your couch in the future, such as promptly cleaning up crumbs, strategically placing mice deterrents, and sealing up gaps and holes in your home.

Contact us today for a free mice inspection and protect the home furniture you love.

Mice are resilient little rodents that seem to be able to take up residence nearly anywhere. But one of the most common places that you will find mice is the attic. Mice in this location can present a tricky situation because many homeowners don’t spend much time in their attics and don’t even realize mice are living there.

Here is some information about how to tell if you have mice in your attic and what to do about the rodent activity once you discover it.

How Mice Get in the Attic

Some people are surprised that mice are even able to access attics because of the height and minimal doors and windows for access. However, mice can find the tiniest cracks in a home and get up that high by climbing gutters or jumping from tree branches onto roofs. Attics are actually preferred habitats for mice because attics are typically warm, dark, dry, and free of human activity.

What to Listen for

Mice often make scratching and scurrying sounds, so these are things to listen for above your ceiling. You may hear the sounds of tiny running feet above you, which is a sure sign that mice are in the vicinity and could spread to other parts of your home too.

What to Look for

Even if you only use your attic for storage, it is important to inspect your attic regularly to ensure that no unwanted house guests are up here. Signs of what to look for are pools of mice urine, mouse fecal droppings, and grease marks along the walls. You may also see chew marks on wires in your attic, nesting materials (like paper and cloth) gathered together, and burrows through your attic insulation. Another sure sign that you have mice is if you see a live or dead mouse among your belongings. Mice rarely exist as individuals, so where you find one, you will likely find more later if you look closely.

Preventing Mice in the Attic

In addition to regularly visiting your attic to check for sounds and sights of mice, there are additional things that you can do to be proactive about rodent infestations. To start, keep your attic clean and free of unnecessary clutter. If you notice any cracks in the attic area, patch them up so that mice don’t have an easy access point.

Do not store food in your attic, or if you must store food here, make sure it is secured in sealed containers that mice cannot chew through. Also, take a walk around your property and take note if any tree branches or bushes are very close to your home that would enable a mouse to jump on top of your roof and get into the attic.

Who to Call for Mice in the Attic  

For over 30 years, Precise Termite & Pest Control has been keeping Northern New Jersey protected from attic mice. We understand the risks involved in exterminating mice and the best tactics for keeping them away from local homes. When you call us for a free inspection, we can determine if there are signs of mice in your attic, where the mice entry points are, and the best course of action for getting mice out of this space. We’ll also come up with a plan to keep mice out of your attic so that you only need to schedule an annual, preventative inspection rather than dealing with an emergency infestation situation in the future.

Call us at 866-971-2847 or contact us online today to learn more!

So, you have a mouse problem and have made the smart decision to call an exterminator to come handle the situation. Great!

Now, the next step is to get ready for your exterminator to come so that this trip out to your home is as effective and efficient as possible. Here are some tips for how to prepare for an exterminator for mice so that you are ready for the day that Precise Pest Control comes to your home.

What to Clean Up Before the Exterminator Comes

To help exterminators do their job, clear household items away from areas with rodent activity before they arrive. This may involve taking items out from beneath sinks, inside closets, or around the refrigerator. Some people wonder if they should leave mouse droppings where they are found until the exterminator arrives. The answer to this question is no, because you’ll want to clean up any droppings as soon as you notice them for the health and safety of everyone in your household.

Prior to your exterminator’s visit, patch up any noticeable holes that you can find around your house, such as in the walls, around doors, or by the baseboards. If you live in an apartment, tell your landlord or management company about gaps, cracks, and holes so that they can be fixed promptly. Another tip for how to prepare for an exterminator is to properly store away food in containers that mice can’t chew through them and to place storage items, such as documents and clothing, into mice-proof boxes instead of cardboard ones.

Preparing for Your Exterminator’s Questions

When your Precise Pest Control exterminator arrives, he or she will ask questions about where mice activity has been noticed and how severe the problem has been. Before your pest control appointment, you may want to jot down notes about when you last saw live or dead mice, along with their location. You should also be prepared to answer an exterminator’s questions about the types of treatments that you are comfortable with if you have kids or pets in the house and what precautions you have already taken to keep mice out of your home.

Questions to Ask Your Exterminator

It’s also a good idea to have a list of your own questions as you prepare for an exterminator to come. First, you’ll want to hire a pest control company that has substantial experience, good reviews, and is licensed, and insured. Precise Pest Control has all of those things and much more to offer!

You may also want to ask your exterminator about why the chosen method of pest control is best, how safe the treatment is for kids and pets, and how to keep mice away for good. Other good questions to ask are what the cost of extermination services will be and if you need to leave your house during the extermination process.

Call for Your Free Estimate Today!

At Precise Pest Control, we specialize in mice control and have been in this business for over 30 years. We offer free inspections and are here to answer all of your questions to make the extermination process quick, effective, and affordable. Contact us today at 866-971-2847 to learn more!

Mice are resilient little rodents who to take up residence nearly anywhere in a home or yard. However, one of the most common places for mice to live in a home is the basement. There are a few different ways that mice get into basements, and this can cause a variety of problems for homeowners.

Fortunately, Precise Termite & Pest Control is here to help get rid of mice in your basement and keep them out of this area of your home.

Why Mice Live in Basements

There are various things that attract mice to basement areas, such as storage boxes and piles of clutter. These are prime places for mice to build nests, so it is best to use plastic storage containers instead of cardboard boxes and to place them away from walls to eliminate hiding spaces. There are lots of excellent hiding places in basements, so keep the area free of clutter to deter mice.

Mice may choose to live in a basement if there is food stored there or exposed insulation lying around to provide an attractive nesting spot. Basements are also preferred by mice because they tend to be dark, cool, and have less human activity than other parts of a home.

How Mice Get Into Basements

Mice often get into basements through holes and cracks that aren’t properly sealed up. Mice only need a tiny amount of space to squeeze through, so you might not even notice miniature gaps around plumbing, wiring, floors, and where the foundation meets the ground.

One of the first steps in mouse control is finding the entry point that mice use to get inside and sealing any openings that exist. Signs that you have mice in the basement are tracks on the floor, gnaw marks, a musky smell, and fecal droppings. Even a single mouse in a basement can be an issue because of the risk of spreading diseases, such as salmonellosis and leptospirosis, through their excrement. Another with mice risk is the spread of parasites, including mites, fleas, and ticks. Mice can also cause a lot of damage in a basement if they chew through electrical wiring and create dangerous fire hazards.

We Can Help Get Rid of Mice in Basements

At Precise Termite & Pest Control, we regularly help New Jersey residents get rid of mice in their basements by determining how they are accessing the space and by deploying various rodent control tactics based on the situation. Our extermination professionals know the safest and most effective ways to deal with basement mice.

To prevent mice from coming back into your basement, we will develop a strategy with you that may include removing food sources in the basement, sealing up trash, fixing water leaks, and sealing the home’s foundation. It may also help to put weather stripping around the basement door to prevent mice in the basement from traveling to other parts of the house as well.

We offer same-day service for customers in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, and Sussex counties to get your mice problem resolved right away. Contact us at 866-971-2847 for more information about how we get rid of mice in basements and for a free inspection of your basement and other areas of your home.