Mouse Control in Richmond, VA

Mouse in House and in Richmond Homes

If you've been hearing strange noises at night, such as squeeking, scurrying and scratching, you may have a mouse in your house, mouse in walls, mouse in attic, or mouse in kitchen. Mice may be tiny, but they can pack a punch when it comes to destructiveness. Damaged insulation, chewed wires and odors are a few problems related to mouse infestations. Critter Control of Richmond has trained professionals that can safely and humanely remove mice in house, mice in walls, mice in kitchen, mice in attcs and other rodents from your home. We thoroughly inspect your home to detrmine points of entry and can seal holes and repair damage. Call our office today!

Introduction

There are two different types of mice which enter buildings in our area. The first are white-footed mice, which many people refer to as “field mice.” These mice are native to Virginia and are common in our fields and woods. Relatively speaking, they are large mice, with adult body lengths of 4-4 ½ inches (tail not included). The second type is the house mouse. These mice are native to Central Asia. They spread to Europe, and from there settlers brought them to North America. Over time the house mouse has adapted to live with people. In fact, they are never found very far from human activity. The house mouse is about one inch smaller than the white-footed mouse. Both types may live in the same building.

Biology and Habits

Mice commonly enter buildings near ground level through preexisting holes. Common places for entry are where pipes or wires pass through a foundation wall, through vents with damaged screens, attached garages or sheds, and loose or damaged crawl space access doors. Once entry is gained, mice can move throughout the building, including vertically by climbing up the insides of walls and may end up nesting in crawl spaces, attics, floor voids, or inside walls. Mice can reproduce very rapidly. House mice will have five to ten litters per year, with four to six young per litter. White-footed mice generally have three to five litters per year. To make matters worse, a mouse is ready to breed at only two months of age. Mice generally eat grains and seeds, but will eat just about any type of food. Mice are nibblers, taking small samples of food, then moving on. House mice eat food as they find it. White-footed mice will hide some food in nests and other secure places. In some cases mice will use the building as a place to live, but go outside to forage for food, so just because mice are not getting into food in the house does not mean they are not in the building. This behavior is especially common with white-footed mice.

Control

Mice are most commonly controlled by putting out poison baits for them to eat. Generally speaking, these baits contain poisons called anticoagulants (blood thinners) which kill by inducing internal bleeding. To be effective, small placements of ½ to 1 ounce of bait need to be made 10 to 20 feet apart in the areas being used by the mice. Mice die 4-7 days after eating the bait. There is no way to control where poisoned mice will die. However, in most cases a mouse that dies in a wall, attic or crawl space will not create enough of an odor to be smelled inside the building. Mice can also be trapped. The advantages of trapping are faster results, and control over where the mice die. The main disadvantage is that it is more time consuming, and therefore more costly. We have found the snap trap to be the most effective type of mouse trap. Homeowners interested in trapping mice can bait snap traps with peanut butter or lunch meat (especially salami), and place traps along walls in areas the mice use. Mice are usually easy to catch. Regardless of the control method used, efforts must be taken to eliminate any food the mice are feeding on in the building. Food items should be removed, or placed in metal containers. This is especially important with high value food items such as birdseed and pet food. Control efforts may fail if the mice have these other food sources.

Management

To the extent possible, potential mouse entry points into the building should be located and sealed. On some buildings this is easy to do, and virtually eliminates future problems. On other buildings this is nearly impossible. (Most building fall somewhere in between.) It may be necessary for us return on a regular basis to re-treat for mice, and we can set up such a program, if needed.

Wildlife Control Reviews

Hari Dharam K.

3/22/2023

Our current technician is very good. He always calls us the day before so we know when he is coming. He also has done a very good job keeping pocket gophers in check.
- Espanola, NM

Maria R.

3/13/2023

Mike did our service today. He was awesome! He addressed and resolved a couple of critter issues we were having. It's really helpful to be reminded when he was coming and texted me when he was on his way. Thank you for the great service!

Service: Rodent Control in Santa Fe

Pat S.

3/3/2023

We appreciate that your company was able to rid our property of the squirrel activity that we observed. We were concerned that the squirrels would dig under the foundation of our house (which had happened to a neighbor in our area).

Thank you for doing what you said you would do to eliminate this squirrel activity.

Service: Ground squirrel control in Rio Rancho, NM

Paul C.

3/2/2023

We personally have a bad infestation for a while, Critter Control has been stellar in the customer service/ communication department, We are still working on the infestation but CC has been absolutely above and beyond our expectations with some of our projects hurdles.

Services: Wildlife Control in Philadelphia

Kirk D.

2/16/2023

It has been very effective at reducing the number of mice, lizard, and snake sightings. During one visit Edgar removed a rattlesnake he came across. We may see a snake maybe two to three times during the spring and summer months, but it has been far less than before.

Serivces: Wildlife & Rodent Control in San Diego

Estelle R.

2/15/2023

Melinda is a true professional. She has helped us maintain a "critter-free" home. Whenever a mole decides to visit our property, she is right on top of it. Her recommendations about mosquito control made a big difference for my boys to be able to enjoy our backyard.

Services: Mole Control in St. Louis

Jennifer M.

2/15/2023

We use Critter Control to deter snakes. We haven't seen any since using the monthly service. They are quick to answer questions and explain snake behavior. Also, if any are found they remove them with no extra charge.

Services: Recurring Snake Control in Destin, FL

Patricia B.

2/11/2023

Have been using for almost 10 years after a record rat invasion. The help I had back then was like a super-helpful friend taking a few weeks to rid me of that invasion. Over the years I have had a few other representatives. They are always nice and helpful.

Services: Rat Control in Austin, TX

Pat S.

2/10/2023

Very informative and very knowledgeable staff in the field. Also they keep you up to date of how things are progressing.

Services: Wildlife Control in Detroit

Kathy S.

1/19/2023

Knowing my critter control professional & his familiarity with my property, especially when emergency wildlife issues arise.

Services: Wildlife Control in Quad Cities

Vincent S.

10/30/2020

On recommendations from a nearby pest control company, I called Critter Control for suspicious bat droppings.

Madison came out the same day to do an inspection. She was knowledgeable, thorough, and highly professional. She examined the ‘matter’ that had been scattered on my threshold and thought it was foliage. But she then asked to go up to my attic space where the bats could be roosting. She had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with a heavy ladder. She again spent some time searching all the nooks and crannies and found nothing.

She seemed so interested in her craft, it was truly inspiring to see! She reassured me and is writing up a prevention strategy for my appraisal. She charged me NOTHING!! I am so impressed. We need more Madisons in this world!

Service: Bat Removal in San Diego

David

5/20/2013

Daniel did a great job pigeon proofing. We have a huge pigeon problem in our neighborhood and the pigeons were roosting in the gutters of my house and my two next door neighbors, who also had nests in their gutters and under their air conditioner. Pigeon poop filled our gutters, and was piled on the outside floor when I bought the house. Since Daniel's pigeon proofing, and my neighbors also pigeon proofing their gutters, fireplace chimney, air conditioners, and removal of nest, I rarely see pigeons any more. Only the lovely native sparrows, robins, vermillion fly catchers, and mourning doves visit our property now.

Service: Bird Control in Albuquerque