How To Avoid Critters In Your Closet or Home and What To Do If You Find One

It’s the middle of the night and you’re sound asleep when you hear a noise coming from your closet. You stiffen up, unsure of what to do. Is it a burglar? A ghost? Or worse… critters in your closet? 

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic! You can take some simple steps to avoid finding critters in your closet or home or remove them if you find them. Read on for more info.

How To Avoid Critters In Your Closet Or Home 

The best way to deal with mice is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place. Here are some tips to do just that: 

-Seal up any cracks or holes on the outside of your home. Mice can squeeze through incredibly small spaces. It’s important to make sure there are no openings for them to get through. Check your garage, around doors, windows, foundation cracks, vents, and plumbing pipes. Use caulk or expandable foam to seal up any gaps. 

-Keep your yard clean and free of debris. This includes things like firewood piles, bricks, stones, and leaf piles. If mice have nowhere to hide in your yard, they’re less likely to try and enter your home. 

-Remove any food sources that might attract mice. This means keeping food stored in airtight containers in your pantry and not leaving crumbs lying around on counters or floors. Mice are attracted to the smell of food. The cleaner you keep your house, the less likely they are to enter.

 

-Use metal screens on vents and chimneys. This will block mice from being able to enter through these openings. 

-If you have pets, keep their food bowls clean, and don’t leave pet food out overnight. Just like with human food, the smell of pet food attracts mice. And if they do they may come into your home looking for a meal. 

-If your closets don’t have enough storage space it may be time to consider getting custom closets so that your clothes and other items can be stored properly and not thrown into dark corners.

What To Do If You Have A Critter In Your  Closet Or Your Home 

If you do find critters in your closet or home, don’t worry! There are some easy steps you can take to get rid of it: 

-The first thing you’ll want to do is try and identify where the mouse is coming into your home. This way you can seal up the opening. Look for droppings near entry points like doors, windows, vents, etc. Once you’ve found where the mouse is getting in, seal up the opening. You can use caulk or expandable foam so the mouse can’t get back in again. 

-Once you’ve sealed up all the possible entry points, set out mouse traps baited with cheese or peanut butter at strategic locations around your home. The most common places to find mice are in kitchens (behind appliances), pantries (in boxes of cereal or storing), closets (behind clothes), basements (near water heaters or furnaces), and laundry rooms (inside laundry baskets). Place traps wherever you’ve seen droppings or evidence of gnawing damage.  

-Be patient! It may take a day or two for the mouse to take the bait, so don’t give up too soon. Once you’ve caught the mouse, then dispose of it properly according to your municipality’s guidelines, (usually this means placing it in a plastic bag and putting it in the garbage). 

-After you’ve caught the mouse (or mice), clean up any droppings using a disinfectant cleaner and mop or vacuum floors thoroughly. Be sure to wash any dishes or food containers that may have been contaminated by droppings as well. Dispose of any cleaning materials properly when you’re finished cleaning up droppings (i.e., don’t just leave them sitting out in case there are more mice around!). 

These tips should help you avoid critters in your home and what to do if you find one! Remember, prevention is key but if you do find yourself with an uninvited guest characterizing activities usually associated with BASE jumpers then don’t fret – just follow these simple steps. They’ll be gone before you know it! Thanks for reading!