The appearance of mice in the house does not bode well. In addition to the unpleasant smell, damage to food and property, there can 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 sign of their presence next to a person. But first you need to study the enemy, understand what he is, what reasons made him 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 are their varieties
In the process of evolution, mice have mastered almost all corners of the planet, including the poles, where they are helped to survive closeness with people. 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 their natural habitat, but many species from the order of rodents are synotropic, which means the ability to exist both in the natural environment and next to humans, using manythe survival benefits that such a neighborhood brings with it. One of the most common synatropic species is the house mouse. Adults can range in size from 6 to 20 cm. Some synotropic rodent species are of decorative value. In a number of countries, individual synatropic species have become the subject of cult and worship. All of them can survive in the natural environment where their biological features were formed.
Food preferences
The main pass to human habitation is omnivorousness, which distinguishes all synatropic species from their relatives, capable of living 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 synotropic species in the natural environment are smaller in size, 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 for life in human habitation.
Where do mice prefer to live and where do they hide?
All synatropic rodent species prefer anthropogenic habitats where they have a better chance of getting food, protection and warmth. In the natural environment, these species have a mostly seasonal breeding cycle, but in the conditions they can find near humans, the breeding cycle becomes year-round. The daily activity cycle of mice is similar to other types of gloomy and nocturnal animals, so they prefer to build nests in dark places,so that the space where the nest is built matches the size of the mice themselves. These rodents build burrows from whatever material they find nearby. They especially love the fabric, which can be shredded to make a cozy and warm place to breed. Knowing the approximate locations of mouse nests, you can effectively use various mouse repellents.
Lifespan of mice
Under natural conditions, mice do not live longer than 1.5 years, but in human habitation they can live more than 2. In laboratories, subject to all favorable conditions for nutrition and reproduction, their life expectancy can be 3 years. Gerontological experiments on mice allowed to increase their lifespan up to 5 years.
Mice reproduction rate
During the life of a mouse, on average, can give 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 birth and the short period of gestation, these animals are able to multiply exponentially. Under laboratory conditions, these figures can be many times higher.
Factors favoring 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 people for a long time and it is poorly ventilated. The most dangerous sign should be considered the appearance of mouse excrement in productsor next to them, as well as traces of mouse teeth left on them. If mice begin to appear in the presence of a person, then this means that they feel very at ease and they have a large population. The following conditions are favorable for mice:
- Easy access to products.
- The presence of dark places with a positive year-round temperature that are hard to reach for humans and other animals.
- Presence near the house of dilapidated and non-residential premises, as well as abandoned communications.
Remedies for mice and ways to fight
Mice should be treated like invaders who are exploring new territories. The fight against rodents should be carried out in two main directions:
- Destruction of mice by lethal means.
- Preventive measures aimed at eliminating favorable conditions for their existence, as well as methods that do not kill mice, but make them 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, poisoned baits and the spraying of special aerosols.
- Folk remedies based on ingenuity and tradition.
Physical ways to kill mice
Physical remedies for rats and mice are traps and traps. There are many optionsthese devices, both factory-made and home-made. The principle of operation of such devices is very simple. A mouse, attracted by the smell of the bait, falls into a trap or trap, after which a mechanism is triggered that can kill or maim the animal, or lock it in a local space without harming it.
The most effective mouse repellent, 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 the mouse with an electric current. The disadvantage of all traps and traps is the fact that the mouse has to be killed and then its corpse thrown away, which itself can contain 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 sprinkle the bait nearby. Sticky mice can simply be thrown away 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 can be left for a long time.
- Pour half a bucket of water.
- Take a strip of cardboard and attach one end to the bucket, and attach the bait to the other end.
- Get access to the edge of the bucket to which the strip of cardboard is attached. The mouse must climb there, go along the cardboard path to the bait, the path must bend under the weight of the mouse, aftercausing the rodent to slip into the bucket and drown.
Chemical remedies for rats and mice
Modern chemicals give a quick and reliable effect in the fight against mice. Poisonous substances are either placed in the bait, or sprayed or applied to places where rodents are likely to appear. There are reliable chemicals for mice. The Rat Death bait is made on the basis of brodifacoum, which blocks blood clotting and causes suffocation. According to the reviews of the buyers of this drug, rodents in the last minutes of their lives tend to leave the places where they usually hide and get out into the open air, which makes it possible to avoid the death of mice in hard-to-reach places. Such agents as Nutcracker, Zoocoumarin and Hunter Antirodent have a similar effect, which differ only in the difference in additives to attract mice and rats. These drugs are relatively safe for use in residential areas, since they do not emit toxic fumes. Positive feedback has another poison - "Bactorodencid" - the action of which is based on infection through the bait with mouse typhus of the entire population. Microorganisms applied to cereal seeds are not dangerous to humans, but 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 death of a rodent cancome at a time when it will be in a hard-to-reach place, and the need to get rid of the corpse will become apparent only after the smell of decomposition spreads around the house.
Poison-Free Deadly Lure
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 s alt. Having spread 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 involve the need to kill mice and dispose of their corpses. But even the most radical ones - chemical remedies for rats and mice - cannot guarantee the complete destruction of the entire population. There are methods that do not kill rodents, but drive them away, forcing them to look for more convenient places for nests. Moreover, traps, traps and poison are not always effective in conditions of a long absence of a person, for example, in the country. The remedy for mice in the country should effectively protect the room for a long time. On the other hand, the abundance of mouse corpses in the 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 itit will be a terrible all-penetrating roar, from which it is impossible to hide. Ultrasonic devices can be left on after people leave, so mice will bypass the ultrasonic-protected home. This is the best mouse remedy.
Folk remedies that drive away mice, but do not kill 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's pretty simple.
- Produce the required amount of anti-mouse herbs. All ingredients can be found in the backyard: blackroot seeds and chopped parts, freshly cut elderberry twigs that can be stored longer by putting them in water, a few handfuls of dried wormwood, mint, tansy, wild rosemary and chamomile, and a large clod of burdock.
- Tightly close up all the mouse holes and passages gnawed in the floor with a weep. Add black root seeds to the burdock.
- Spread fresh elderberry branches on the floor in the cellar and basement.
- Spread mint, tansy and chamomile in food storage areas.
- Put rosemary leaves in clothes, underwear, in any textiles.
- Make small bundles of long stems of dry wormwood and spread them along the walls around the perimeter indoors.
All these folk remedies for mice in the house provide protection from mice for a long time when people are forced to be away for a long time, and they do not kill mice.
