How to Keep Mice Away in Iowa

Finding yourself in the middle of a rodent infestation can be a distressing experience, whether it’s in your Iowa home or business. Rats and mice typically come indoors to escape dropping temperatures outdoors. Some may assume that during Iowa freezing winters, pest problems aren’t likely. Unfortunately, that’s not the case! In fact, rodent infestations are quite common all year round. 

That’s why it’s important to be a step ahead and focus on keeping those pesky mice and rats at bay before they even think about crashing your place. Understanding what makes your space inviting to these pests can save you a whole lot of trouble and headaches down the line.

To prevent a rodent infestation, it’s recommended to regularly check your home. By locating and fixing areas that have damage, you can lessen the chance of a rat or mouse invasion. The eight locations to check include:

• Roof
• Vents
• Screens
• Vegetation
• Gutters
• Outside
• Garage
• Foundation

5 Tips to Keep Mice Away from Entering Your House

Mice are some of the most common pests to sneak into our homes during the winter to wait out the cold, taking advantage of our heat and food resources. Unfortunately, they’re able to squeeze through tiny, dime-sized holes we often don’t even know are there. 

To help you ward off mice and prevent them from entering your home this winter, we’ve compiled a list of tips:

1. Keep your kitchen clean, and store food safely.

Leaving your dishes around the kitchen or food scraps and crumbs on counters, tables, or in the sink can attract mice to these areas. Keep eating and meal prep areas tidy by cleaning up right after meals and doing the dishes as you go. Make sure food is stored safely in sealed, rodent-proof containers (even pet food).

2. Don’t let clutter pile up.

If you have a storage room in your home or a lot of clutter throughout your living space, you’ve created an environment where mice can easily hide out. Areas located in parts of your home that you don’t often use, such as the basement, garage, or attic, are especially attractive for mice and rats to build their nests without being disturbed. Keep your home clean and organized so rodents have fewer places to hide.

3. Manage your yard and landscaping.

Take a look around your yard. Do you have bushes or plants growing right up against your home or trees with overhanging branches? If so, you’re giving mice and other pests easier access to your home. Keep trees and bushes trimmed so they don’t act as step stools or ladders.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home and a woodpile in your backyard, keep it as far away from your home as possible. Mice like to hide in wood piles.

4. Seal any possible entry points.

Seal cracks, holes, and other drafty areas to keep unwanted visitors out of your home. Check around doors and windows, the foundation, and siding and roofing components. Make sure that seals are tight and that rodents can’t enter through vents, fascia and soffit boards, or chimney flashing. If you have small holes around the house that you need to fill quickly (to act as a temporary solution while you’re waiting for someone to make a permanent repair), you can fill them with steel wool, which mice can’t chew through.

Check the weather stripping at the base of your garage door as well, and make sure it’s free of holes and tears and effectively keeps out critters, rain, and snow. Sealing all of these areas will not only help prevent pests from entering but also make your home more energy-efficient.

5. Keep doors shut, and add brush strips.

Make sure when you enter or exit your house, you close the door as quickly as possible. Mice are sneaky and can make their move quickly when you’re not looking. Also consider adding a brush strip to the exterior doors of your home to block gaps across the bottom of your doors, where mice often squeeze through. These strips will also help drafty doors keep heat indoors during the winter.

Do Mice Repellents Work to Keep Them Away?

You might find all kinds of repellents and gadgets promising to ward off rodents, but their success isn’t always guaranteed. Even if certain smells might make their noses twitch, a desperate mouse driven by hunger or the need for shelter will brave them. Instead, focus on making your domicile a fortress — less appealing and impenetrable.

What Attracts Mice to Your Iowa Space?

Many animals, including certain types of large rodents, hibernate for the winter. Rats and mice, however, do not hibernate. They are active throughout the entire year. To survive the cold winters, they will infest homes in search of warmth and shelter. Worst of all, mice are infamous for squeezing their way inside through holes as small as the size of a dime!

Once inside, rats and mice can be destructive and dangerous. They are capable of spreading bacteria and pathogens, which is why it’s so important to prevent them in the first place.

Mice are tiny opportunists and are always sniffing around for food, water, and a cozy corner to call home. Here’s what typically attracts mice into your Iowa home or business:

1. Food Sources: Mice aren’t picky eaters; if they stumble upon any food scraps, crumbs, or open containers, they’ll think they’ve hit the jackpot. This includes pet chow, birdseed, and even your trash if it’s not secured properly. To keep these gatecrashers at bay, stash your food in airtight containers, clean up any mess pronto, and make sure your trash cans are locked up tight.
2. Water and Moisture: Just like any of us, mice need water to live, so a leaky faucet or a puddle is like an oasis for these little guys. Keep things dry by fixing any leaks and getting rid of standing water both in and around your house.
3. Warmth and Shelter: When the cold winds blow, mice look for warm places to bunker down. Cluttered spaces like your attic or garage seem like luxury condos to them. Keeping these areas neat and organized, and plugging up any cracks and holes, will make your home less inviting.
4. Easy Access: These critters could give Houdini a run for his money – they can squeeze through the tiniest of spaces and find their way in. Look out for any gaps under doors or holes in screens and make sure they’re sealed up tight to keep unwelcome guests out.
5. Nesting Materials: Mice are quite the handymen, using scraps of paper, fabric, and insulation to build their nests. Make sure these materials aren’t up for grabs by keeping your place tidy and storing items securely.

Keeping Rodents Out of Your Iowa Home or Business Since 1989

We understand how frustrating rodent problems are, which is why we work to prevent them from occurring in the first place. By regularly inspecting your property for vulnerabilities, you can help protect yourself from an infestation! 

If you need assistance checking your home for rodents, the rodent exterminators at Springer Professional Home Services are here to help. If you find you already have a rodent problem, the most effective way to fix it is by calling a pest control expert with proven knowledge and equipment. 

Reach out to us today to get started with getting mice out of your Iowa space. We look forward to working with you and helping you rid your home of any pesky mice!