How to Get Mice Out of Your Vents
You're laying in bed, falling asleep on an otherwise quiet night and suddenly, you hear one of the worst sounds a homeowner or renter can experience — scurrying in the walls. When a mouse infestation occurs, rodents transform nearly every corner of a building into their own transit system, and heating ducts and vents are no exception.
These critters can cause a wide variety of problems once they reach your home's vents. The overall efficiency of your air system can be diminished due to the blockage of airflow as the mice begin to breed and build nests. Mice can also chew through wires, possibly leading to a damaged HVAC system at best and a severe electrical fire at worst.
Not only will you begin to notice foul odors throughout your home as a result of their droppings, but the National Pest Management Association also warns that mice droppings can carry as many as 200 human pathogens. Once rodents begin to roam your vents, their fecal spores will be swept along and contaminate the overall air quality of your home.
Air ducts often become the main form of transportation for mice once they infest a property, due to their widespread accessibility and the cover the system can provide for the prey animal. Preventative maintenance is key to decreasing your risk of experiencing a major infestation in your home’s walls. However, if you begin to notice the signs that mice have made your house or business their new home, there are steps you can take to eradicate the problem.
Preventative measures are the most effective way for homeowners to mitigate their risk of a mouse infestation.
Protecting Your Property
One of the most important maintenance tasks around the home? Pest-proofing your air vents. American Home Shield has recommended a variety of preventative measures homeowners can take to provide them the peace of mind that mice will not be moving in as roommates anytime soon.
Mesh screens or other special coverings are available for purchase at nearly every hardware store in New York. Once applied to the openings of vents, they can help to ensure that rodents cannot enter air ducts by limiting their access points. Airflow will still be able to pass through uninterrupted, allowing you to use your air system without issue. Ducts should also be quickly repaired if any cracks, gaps or holes are noticed, as these are some of the most easily accessible spots for mice.
In addition to staying vigilant when it comes to your vents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended using thick plastic or metal garbage cans, keeping food stored in containers with tight lids, and regularly cleaning up any food debris or garbage to keep rodents out.
Identifying and Removing an Infestation
Once you begin to hear or notice any of the signs of an infestation, it is time to move from proactive prevention measures to eradication. While it is likely that you will hear these mice moving at night, other signs of an infestation can include damage to furniture, chewed debris throughout your home and evidence of droppings.
Rodenticides should not be employed as a method of eradication when rodents are in your vents, as the poison will be spread by your air system and is potentially toxic to humans when inhaled. Homeowners should instead locate each vent in their home and remove the grates. By placing baited traps at each point of entry, you can attempt to lure and trap mice out of the vents and prevent them from dying in the ducts.
While do-it-yourself methods can be cost-effective when faced with small infestations, rodents’ nocturnal nature makes it extremely difficult for non-professionals to gauge the severity of the problem. Once mice have made it to your vents, the costly and dangerous threat they pose make it less likely that you will be able to manage the entire infestation on your own.
For more than fifty years, Rudy’s Exterminating Co.’s team of professionals have helped homeowners, property managers and other business owners in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn handle potentially disastrous pest infestations. Not only will our team remove the infestation itself, but we also offer disinfecting services to help ensure that your home is pest-free moving forward.
If you are currently experiencing an infestation or have any questions about rodent control services, get in touch with our team today.