Mouse control in Evansville, IN

Most people hear mice long before they see one, and Illinois Extension says the classic sign is scratching or scurrying in a wall or ceiling shortly after dark or early in the morning. Then you start finding other clues: a chewed corner on a cereal box, gray smudges along a baseboard where they run (NPIC), and droppings tucked in drawers and cabinets.

Mouse droppings are dark, pointed at both ends and less than half an inch long, according to the University of Kentucky. If what you're seeing is a lot bigger than a mouse, it may be a Norway rat. Purdue Extension says those run 13 to 18 inches counting the tail, and they're worth calling someone about right away.

The timing usually fits, too, because mice spend the summer outside and move in during fall looking for a warm place to spend the winter. In Evansville that lines up with the first real cold. NOAA normals for the airport show only a night or two at freezing in October, then about 12 in November. Downtown runs a little warmer, but the Evansville Museum station there still averages about 69 freezing nights a year.

One mouse rarely stays one mouse. A female house mouse can have 5 to 10 litters a year, says Purdue Extension, and mice living indoors can keep breeding all winter.

Evansville's housing is old by most standards. The median home was built in 1961, and about half went up before 1960 (Census Bureau). That doesn't mean the houses are in bad shape. They've just had decades to settle, and every plumber, cable installer and furnace crew since has drilled another hole through a wall.

A mouse doesn't need much of an opening. The CDC says one can squeeze through a gap about the width of a pencil. In Riverside and the blocks around Haynie's Corner, where many houses went up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, take a slow look at the stone and brick foundations and the old basement windows.

On a dry afternoon, walk around the outside of the house and look low:

• The foundation line. Cracks in block or mortar, and gaps where the siding meets the foundation.
• Pipes and wires. Anywhere a gas line, water line, dryer vent, cable or AC line goes through the wall.
• Doors. If you can see daylight under the garage or basement door, the sweep needs replacing.
• Vents and window wells. Torn screens on crawl space vents and loose basement window frames.
• Firewood or compost piled against the house. The CDC suggests keeping them 100 feet away. Most city lots can't manage that, so just keep them as far off as you can.

Fill small holes with steel wool and hold it in place with caulk or spray foam. Mice gnaw to make holes bigger, so the metal is what stops them. For larger openings the CDC suggests hardware cloth, sheet metal or cement.

Plain snap traps are what the CDC recommends. Set them on the floor against the wall, with the baited end touching the wall, and leave them out for at least 15 days, or longer if you're still catching mice. Skip glue traps and live traps, which the CDC says can scare mice into urinating and raise your chance of getting sick. The plug-in ultrasonic gadgets aren't worth the money either. Purdue Extension says they generally don't work on mice.

Don't sweep or vacuum droppings. The CDC links rodent droppings and urine to hantavirus and other diseases, and sweeping puts that dust in the air. Instead, open the windows and let the room air out for 30 minutes. Put on rubber or plastic gloves and soak the mess with 1.5 cups of bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe it up.

If you put out poison bait, the University of Kentucky says to place it where kids and pets can't get to it.

Doing it yourself works fine for a mouse or two. Call someone if fresh droppings are still showing up after a couple of weeks of trapping, if they're in the attic or inside the walls, or if you can't reach the gaps, like a crawl space you can't fit into. Chewed wiring is its own problem. Purdue says mice often chew wiring and insulation, so have an electrician look at it too.

These are national ballparks from cost guides, not Evansville quotes. This Old House puts most mouse jobs at $150 to $550. Fixr says $450 to $600, but its figure covers a consultation, traps, sealing and a follow-up visit.

Sealing is often its own line on the bill. Fixr lists $50 to $300 for closing up entry points, and in an older house with a lot of gaps, expect that part to grow. A full cleanup and sanitizing after an infestation runs $200 to $550 (Fixr). Ask for the inspection findings in writing before you agree to a price.

Traps and steel wool don't need a permit, but if mice chewed through wiring, the repair needs one from the Building Commission, which handles both the city and Vanderburgh County, and the permit has to be issued before the work starts.

Houses in a local preservation district have one more step. Conspicuous changes to the outside go to the Evansville Preservation Commission, so ask before adding metal vent covers or new screens on the street side.

• Ask whether the company is licensed for pest control work in Indiana, and ask to see proof of insurance.
• Will you show me the entry points you find?
• Is sealing included in the price, or is it extra?
• Where will the bait go, and how will you keep it away from kids and pets?
• How many follow-up visits are included?

If you'd rather hand it off, the call button on this page reaches a free referral line that can connect you with an independent local provider. Get the plan and the price before any work starts.