Mice:

While you may occasionally see mice during the other seasons, here in the Midwest, fall is when you will begin to see more of these pests infiltrate your house. Your house is a perfect setting for mice as it has food, warmth, and is free from predators (unless, of course, you own a pet). Your attic, garage, basement  or even your kitchen provide a perfect spot for these creatures.

While you may think one mouse may not be such a big deal, it could turn into a disastrous situation for you. You need to nip this problem in the bud as soon as possible because one or two can turn into 10+ very quickly.

Mice pose a problem as they will destroy walls easily by burrowing into walls or insulation and getting into electrical wires, which could cause fires.

Here are some common ways to control a mice infestation problem yourself:

Storage and sanitation – If you drop food constantly in the kitchen or other areas where you eat, clean regularly. Store your food in plastic containers or other difficult to penetrate storage containers.

Trapping – Start trapping early from when you first spot a rodent. If the population gets too big, you will need a professional. Even if you do not see mice, it might be a good idea to leave traps out to judge if you have a problem on your hands.

Pesticide – When a mice population gets too large, rodenticides will help you control it quickly and without much effort. We recommend a professional to apply the rodenticide but if you have a good idea of where they are hanging out, you can carefully deploy it yourself. In attics, basements, and in garages are a good place to deploy the pesticide.

Ladybugs:

In small quantities and outside of the home, ladybugs are an insect that is greatly admired, particularly in pop culture. Also, ladybugs are a beneficial insect as they will eat alphids off of plants and therefore are considered a farmer’s best friend. However, fall infestations of ladybugs can become quite a nuisance.

The most common way identify a ladybug is by its color. They have red wings with black spots on their back.

When the cold temperatures of fall roll in here in the Midwest, ladybugs are drawn to sun spots on houses and if they find an opening, they will enter your house. So how can you prevent this? Look for common places where they may enter, such as broken screens on windows or cracks around doors or window screens. Replace the broken screens and use caulking to seal the cracks.

While ladybugs can be a nuisance, they are in no way a danger to your home (unlike mice).

If you are being overrun by fall pests and you want to get rid of your infestation, feel free to give us a call at 316-773-3825 or use our web contact form.

We look forward to hearing from you.