Mice infest home in Toms River, NJ
Challenge
Recently, I was sent to a home in Toms River, NJ to resolve a persistent rodent problem. As temperatures drop, mice will seek to overwinter in the warmth of homes and mouse sightings start to become much more common. As small as they are (a mouse weighs less than an ounce), mice present a serious health hazard when they infest homes. Their droppings can contain dangerous pathogens that transmit hantavirus, histoplasmosis, and other serious medical conditions.
These homeowners contacted Cowleys after finding mouse droppings in their kitchen and living room. Since mice are nocturnal and do their foraging at night, droppings are often the first visible sign of a mouse infestation. During my inspection, I found small pieces of tin foil scattered around their mouth. After moving the couch, I found a stash of food along with the tin foil that the mice apparently stole from the garbage and hauled over to their harborage area. Mysteriously relocated food is another common sign of a mouse infestation.
Solution
To resolve a rodent infestation, it is important to determine their entry points. Usually, they enter homes through gaps or cracks around the foundation whether they first enter the crawl space or basement. From there, they travel throughout the home inside wall voids and carve out little entry/exit holes to forage for food. After moving the refrigerator and stove, I found the openings that the mice were using to gain access to the home’s living spaces. I sealed the holes with a chew-proof copper mesh and also set rodent bait stations in the kitchen.
I still needed to determine how the mice were first gaining access inside the home and went into the basement. I found several rub or grease marks on the still where they were traveling. Mice have poor eyesight and travel over the same routes leaving not only their scent, but rub marks from the dirt and oils on their fur. Here, you can see the rub marks on the wall under the wires. The marks are shaped like a “U.” I installed RTU rodent bait station on the basement stills. Finally, I scheduled a follow-up visit to re-inspect and assess the level of rodent activity based on the extent of droppings and how much of the rodent bait has been depleted. I’m confident that with their access points sealed and the bait stations in place, this mouse infestation will be resolved quickly.
