Mice found nesting in holiday decorations in Normandy Beach attic

Challenge

I was sent to a homeowner in Normandy Beach who contacted Cowleys after finding mouse droppings in several areas of the attic. According to the homeowner, he did not venture into the attic too often, but needed to go up there to retrieve his stored holiday decorations. Unfortunately, for this homeowner, it wasn’t the night before Christmas, there were creatures stirring, and they were mice! 

Solution

I began my inspection in the attic where there was evidence of unwanted guests. Mice tend to stay out of sight, but they invariably leave a number of signs, not the least of which, are clusters of droppings. There were droppings out in the open, I uncovered even more mice activity after moving some of their stored belongings. I moved my inspection to the exterior to look for entry points. When dealing with a rodent infestation, it is critical to determine who they are gaining access inside the home, so exclusion work can be done to seal up the holes and cracks. As shown in the pictures, there were several areas of entry into the house. 

Once I completed my inspection, I conveyed my findings to the homeowners, and advised them how to properly seal the entry points to exclude rodents and other pests from entering their home.  To make the sealing chew-proof, you should, at least temporarily, use steel-wool backed by expandable foam. The customer assured me that he did not want an ongoing mouse problem and that he would have these gaps and holes permanently sealed. 

I began to lay out my line of defense. First, on the exterior of the home, I installed rodent bait stations adjacent to the entry points. In the attic I placed additional stations around the attic’s perimeter. Setting snap traps along with the rodent bait stations is key for gaining control of a mouse infestation. Using everything that is appropriate in your pest control ”toolbox" is the most effective way to rid your home of mice and many other pests. The homeowners were pleased with my service, they thanked me for the time I spent with them to review the preventative measures for keeping these pests out of your home in the first place.