Mice infestation can be a big problem in your home, with these pesky rodents causing a lot of damage in your house—eating food and burrowing your mattresses and other things. In general, these rodents can cause mayhem in your home.
Since mice infestation is a serious issue, you should take precautions against them. It is prudent to find out ways by which you can get rid of them before they cause serious problems. The best way to handle this issue is to find out where they are nesting and take the necessary measures.
Can Mice Climb Into Beds?
Yes, mice are likely to climb into beds (can even nest in these mattresses), especially the unused ones. Mice like to nest in spots that humans do not frequently access. For example, mice can hide in the mattresses placed in storerooms that rarely have occupants—with these being safe hiding spots.
Another better hiding spot for mice is old mattresses—they can burrow into these mattresses and establish their nests.
Even though a mattress might not be the most favorable hiding spot for mice, it is safe to conclude that beds are among the areas used by mice as nests.
Therefore, do not ignore your instincts if you feel that your mattress may be a hideout for mice. Simply turn over the mattress to confirm your fears. If mice infest it, you’ll see some holes inside.
The only way that mice can hide in a mattress is by burrowing their way into the mattress. So if you see holes, this is probably concrete proof that the mattress has mice, and you should get rid of the mattress instead of retaining it.
Can Mice Crawl and Bite You While Sleeping?
Mice like to crawl from one place to another while seeking refuge. So if your room is already infested with mice, the chances are that the mice will crawl on your bed as they move from one place to another.
There is also a possibility that a mouse can bite you in your sleep, though this is very rare. If they happen to crawl on you in your sleep, the chances are that you were the shortest route they could use to move from one point to another.
Research conducted by PestWorld confirmed that approximately 29% of Americans had experienced rodent issues at least once in their households. Additionally, the results showed that these infestations were majorly experienced during the winter and fall months.
These infestations are common in cold months because these rodents are seeking food and warmth inside their homes.
The most convenient hideout in a household is the bedroom, where mice will find warmth and even food. Once the mice get into the bedroom, the obvious thing to do is crawl on your bed while you’re sound asleep.
What Attracts Mice and Rats to Your Home?
Just like human beings, mice have basic needs, and the essential requirements for them are food and shelter. So if you have lots of food waste and your room is cluttered, the chances are that you’ve got some rodent guests. Mice and rats love warm places, especially during the cold months. Heck! They’ll even crawl on your bed to seek warmth.
Mice will scamper from one corner of your house to another when they’re looking for a perfect spot with adequate warmth to raise their young ones. The best hideout is a heated home with several hiding places, and an even better area is an untidy home.
Being incredibly agile and small, mice can squeeze through openings smaller than 2 cm in diameter, and rats require a slightly larger space. So any tiny entrance to the outside can be a getaway and entry to your home.
Can Mice Climb Walls and Ceilings?
Most mice and rats can jump as far as 20 times their height, though you seldom find a rat or mouse climbing across a ceiling. Besides jumping, mice can climb 13 inches up a vertical surface, which is smooth, and also walk across a thin rope. These skills enable these rodents to climb into the rafters easily.
Even though mice and rats are amazing animals, you should not hesitate to contact a pest control company to help you curb their infestations. You need to promptly stop these rodents from breeding at a fast rate, thus causing more trouble, like eating your food and accessing hard-to-reach areas at night.
When dealing with pesky and sneaky rodents, it is wise to contact a certified pest technician. This technician will help you eliminate these rodents by removing them from your home and sealing any gap used by them as a getaway or entry point.
What Noises Do Mice Hate the Most?
Ultrasonic sounds (produced by high-frequency waves) usually scare mice and will permanently vacate your house if they are exposed to such sounds.
However, many people still question how effective this technique is. If the mice are exposed to the sounds frequently, they can quickly get used to them. This means that with time, the ultrasonic sounds will not be compelling when you use them to drive mice out of your house.
The sounds cannot penetrate walls and furniture. Hence they are ineffective in handling mice that may be hiding inside furniture or in the walls of your house.
Sounds produced by predators usually scare mice. Mice can quickly identify the meows of cats and dog bark from miles away. With time, they will detect the ultrasonic sounds as predatory and warn their mates to scamper for safety.
5 Clever Ways To Keep Mice Off Your Bed
You can try different methods to keep mice out of your room depending on the tools at your disposal and the removal method you are most comfortable with.
Whichever way you choose, what matters is that you get rid of the mice as soon as possible before they start multiplying and wreak more havoc. Here are five simple ways can keep mice at bay:
1. Ensure Your Room is Tidy
Crumbs and leftovers usually attract mice, so if you love eating or snacking in your bedroom, then that is what might be attracting mice into your bedroom. The solution is to make sure you don’t bring any food into your bedroom.
Do you have a pile of dirty clothes lying around your room? Dirty clothes are common mice magnets and are ideal spots for mice to nest as they provide warmth.
If you want to keep mice out of your room, make sure your room is clean at all times. If you have a bin inside your room, empty it regularly. Once you’ve removed their nesting spot and food source, mice will have no reason to be in your room.
2. Block All Entry Points
Mice are small creatures and only need as little as a quarter an inch of space to enter any room. Inspect all areas of your room and try to identify small holes that can serve as entry spots for mice or lead you to any mice nests.
After identifying all the gaps, seal them with steel wool or caulk. These materials are ideal as mice cannot gnaw them.
Do you have a gap at the bottom of your bedroom door? That can also be another entry point for mice. Steel Wool or Caulk cannot be used to seal this gap. Instead, you can use a door sweeper to fill the space. You can purchase your door sweeper at a home improvement store or online.
3. Have a Cat in Your Room
What better way to get rid of mice than use a natural predator? Cats are great at hunting — having them in your room can provide you with a great sense of security. Cats can easily detect mice anywhere in the room owing to their superior sense of smell and sight.
While having a cat can help with your mice problem, it does not eliminate the infestation problem. Most cats won’t go through the trouble of chasing mice as they are too tame. Even if your cat is a hunter, rodents multiply quickly — a female cat can deliver up to 12 pups.
4. Try Out the Best Repellents
When it comes to getting rid of mice infestation, using chemical rodenticides is your best bet. However, rodenticides contain harmful chemicals that are toxic to humans and other pets.
Most homeowners opt for natural repellents as opposed to using chemical rodenticides. With repellents, mice are eliminated without the harmful effects of chemicals. Here are the common natural home remedies to get rid of mice:
- Peppermint Oil – the oil has a strong odor that usually irritates the nostrils of mice. Mice can’t tolerate the smell and typically recoil to their nests. Place cotton balls dipped in peppermint oil at the corner of your room and near your bed so that they do not climb.
- Camphor – camphor works the same way as peppermint oil does. You can buy camphor at any online shop or a nearby grocery store. Once you’ve purchased the oil, dip cotton balls and leave them at the corner of your room and any other mice hotspots.
- Ammonia – the scent of ammonia corresponds to the scent given off by predators. Fill bottle caps with ammonia and place them in areas where mice frequent. To identify areas frequented by mice, check on droppings, paw marks, and greasy tracks.
- Pepper – aside from adding flavor to food, pepper can also be used to eliminate mice. Pepper has a strong smell that mice cannot tolerate. Sprinkle some pepper at hot spot areas and near your bed so that they do not climb.
While these home remedies are a great solution to get rid of mice, they only offer short-term. Mice can easily adapt to the smell of pepper, peppermint oil, or camphor.
Mice will still build their nests in your bedroom once they become accustomed to the pungent smells. It is available to find a more permanent solution to your mice problem.
5. Find Some Traps and Set Them Up
Setting up traps is a traditional way of dealing with mice infestation. However, the method is still effective and can help reduce the number of mice in your home. There are many types of traps available on the market — select the one that carries out the job effectively without causing unnecessary harm.
While using traps is an effective and budget-friendly technique to catch mice, do not set traps in areas where children frequently play. Mice are easily killed by the snapping force that drives the meta bar down. Pets and children can also be injured if they step into the trap accidentally.