Mouse Removal and Mouse-Proofing in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Real Pest Control
After insects, mice are the most common pest in our area. The pest control industry's standard procedure for dealing with mice infestations is mice-baiting with poisons. Both methods provide only a temporary solution. Once you knock down the resident mouse population with poisons you have won a small battle, but the holes that the mice used to get into your house still exist. This means that you will have more mice in the future. That's why most pest control companies will set you up on a quarterly program (four visits per year) to refill baiting stations. That's four times per year, every year, because nothing is being done to keep the mice from coming back. What kind of solution is that? For these reasons I was always hesitant to work with mice problems in the past and usually referred mice calls to other companies. I never liked the idea of charging someone for a service that I knew was only temporary at best. This was before I realized that I could Mouse-Proof a house.
Mice Control?
Mice are only cute in cartoons! While it might be funny to watch a woman leap onto a chair and squeal in horror as a tiny rodent scampers across the floor, the damage and disease mice bring is no laughing matter. Neither is the expense Massachusetts residents face in mouse pest control services alone. Because getting rid of mice is such a difficult task, many homeowners feel forced to pay $500, $600 or $700 a year - every year - to pest control companies for quarterly mouse removal.
We commonly see situations where a customer has been paying over $700 per year for a number of years for mouse-baiting services from a large franchise pest control company. We show up and conduct an inspection only to find that there are one or two very small openings around the foundation that are allowing these mice to gain access to the house. We then remove the mice (without the use of poison) and properly seal the openings to prevent the mice from getting back in. The problem is now solved. No more quarterly service contract from the pest control company to fill your house with poison. No more writing checks for mice-baiting four times per year.
Why would any company structure their services to fill your home with poison four times every year to control a problem that can be avoided in the first place? They call it recurring revenue. Doing it the "pest control" way, the mice keep coming back and you keep paying. The truth is, if your home qualifies, you can end this frustrating and expensive cycle!
Mouse-Proofing Theory
We have bat-proofed and squirrel-proofed hundreds of houses. Why should mice be any different?
Mention the term "mouse-proofing" and most companies will scoff at the idea and tell you that it is simply not possible. You will get a line about how mice can squeeze through the smallest of openings and that there is no way that anyone can seal off all the openings in an entire house.
Mouse-Proofing is indeed possible. BatGuys has successfully mouse-proofed over 45 homes in the last two years. These houses have ranged from small ranches to contemporary colonials in excess of 3500 square feet. All of these mouse-proofing projects were given one-year warranties and as of this writing we have not been called back to a single one for a warranty issue.
For a mouse or any animal to gain access to a house it has to have squeezed through some type of opening. These openings are in foundations, around basement bulkheads and most importantly on roofs. That's right...roofs. Mice are very good climbers, and can enter houses through roofs just as easily as they enter at the ground level. Once each and every one of these openings is properly sealed the mice will no longer be able to enter the house. Knowing which openings mice can get through and knowing how to properly seal each opening is very tricky. Mouse-proofing is extremely tedious work. The technician must be very thorough and very detail-oriented. To miss a 1/4 inch crack or gap anywhere on a house will undoubtedly result in a failed job. It takes a special skill set to properly mouse-proof a house. These techniques can only be learned in the field by trial and error.
Mouse Pest Control - A Complete Package
When most companies talk about "mouse pest control" what they really mean is extermination. They come, they kill, they leave. We believe that true pest control for mice is a multi-step process that:
- Permanently removes mice from your home.
- Mouse proofs the entire house to prevent mice from returning.
- Does not use poisons that kill rodents and could also possibly harm your family and pets. (We are a poison-free company and do not offer mouse-baiting services.
- Saves you hundreds of dollars a year.
The complete package includes mouse removal first to rid your home of rodents followed by mouse proofing to prevent them from coming back. Many companies will tell you mouse proofing can't be done. We have a proven track record that says differently! Does it work for every home? No.
Mouse-Proofing Criteria
Does my home qualify for total mouse proofing?
We find that about 60% of the houses we inspect for mouse infestations are able to be totally mouse-proofed. The other 40% do not qualify for total mouse-proofing because of conditions like loose stone foundations, attached garages, large backyard decks and patios and a host of other conditions that make total mouse-proofing impossible.
Houses that are typically able to be mouse-proofed are split-level raised ranches, contemporary structures, modern colonials and one-level ranches. Houses that are typically not candidates for mouse proofing are old farmhouses and most cottages.
Even in cases where total mouse proofing is not possible we can usually offer an alternative to poison
Initial Inspection
The first step in mouse-proofing is the inspection. We must conduct a thorough inspection to determine if your house qualifies for mouse-proofing. If your home qualifies, we will write a quote on the costs for the project. If your home does not meet the requirements we will provide you with some other options besides the standard mice-baiting services.
Mouse-Proofing Warranty
Once the mice have been successfully removed and your home has been mouse proofed, you'll be protected by BatGuys comprehensive one-year warranty. If mice should re-infest your home during the warranty period we will return to do additional mouse removal and repairs at no cost to you.
Mouse-Proofing Theory, A quick analogy
If you woke up tomorrow morning and discovered that your roof was leaking what would you do? You would probably get a bucket and place it under the leak and then call someone to fix the problem. Now whom would you call to address the problem? Would you call a roofer to come repair the hole in your roof to stop the flow of water? Or would you call a “water control service” to come out and empty and replace the bucket every time it rains
This same principle can be applied to mice infestations. By repairing the openings in the exterior of the house we stop the flow of mice into your home.
Mice-Proofing Success Story 2009
In February 2009 I inspected a house that had a major mouse infestation in both the finished and unfinished areas of the basement. The house was only 4 years old and was already being overrun by the rodents. When a house that is this new has such a problem it is almost always the result of construction flaws. Small areas of the foundation (or even roof) that were left open once the house was completed. That was also the case at this particular project.
When the HVAC company installed the new air conditioning unit they sealed the opening around the chase with some cheap "great stuff" foam. Mice found this weakness and chewed through the foam to gain access to a wall-void and then the basement of the house. The construction of the house was very tight and this was the only active opening that I found. All it takes is one opening like this to cause a major mouse infestation.
We sealed this opening properly, mouse-proofed about a dozen other areas to keep them from going there next and then removed all the mice that were currently inside the house. This homeowner's mice problem is now solved. No pest control companies, no quarterly visits, no contracts, no introducing poison in a house where 3 small children reside. None of that. Just a simple common sense approach by the best mouse guys in the industry.
Ready To End the Mouse Trap?
When you're ready to get started, contact us immediately and we'll set up a time to conduct a mouse-proofing inspection of your home. You'll be provided with a complete cost quotation for mouse removal and mouse proofing (provided your home qualifies
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BatGuys is a poison-free company and do not use any type of pesticides/rodenticides for any of our services. If your situation calls for mice-baiting services we will refer you to the best pest control company in your area.
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What is mice proofing? Click here to view a case study of a local mice-proofing project that we successfully completed.
