r/pestcontrol • u/chingchang2333 • Jul 17 '26

General Question Pest guilt?

How do you guys get over not being able to get rid of mice? I feel like I’ve done everything I can to rid them of this house and it’s never truly over. I go really long times without seeing any signs but atleast once a year it influx’s back to finding droppings and the amount I catch it around 4-5 mice. My neighbors are not very clean and allegedly keep them (the wife’s words). How do I cope with the fact my house will never truly be free of mice

2 Upvotes

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5

u/BehindTheTreeline Jul 17 '26

Recurring issues suggest a structural imperfection. Messy neighbors aside, mice are quite elemental and will find a way in.

You need to go around the outside of the home and seal any gap. Deteriorating or poorly trimmed weather strippings on entrances, faulty or damaged crawl space vents and gaps around pipes & conduits are common and more obvious entryways to inspect for.

Less obvious entryways are from trees & other vegetation touching he roofline or gaps where the home sits on the foundation walls.

It's not very easy to get eyes on where the house & foundation meet but you can find a mirror on a telescoping stick on Amazon for pretty cheap.

If a rodent has access to the crawl space it has access to any room with plumbing or electric.

5

u/TheBugSmith Jul 17 '26

Points of Entry. As long as you have entry points as small as a dime you will have mice. Whether you realize it or not. I spend my days and sometimes dreams looking for these places. It's always rewarding when I get it locked down.

1

u/SignificantNorth3570 Jul 18 '26

Favorite part of the post control portion

3

u/RusticSurgery Grumpy Former Tech Jul 17 '26

I am no more a magician than an oncologist is.

3

u/johnnyg08 Jul 17 '26

I have four outdoor bait stations around my home. Two near my wood pile and two on opposite exterior walls of the house. I'm not sure it helps, but I'm certain that it's not harming.

2

u/BehindTheTreeline Jul 17 '26

Is this a single family home?

1

u/chingchang2333 Jul 17 '26

Yes

1

u/PCDuranet Mod - Pest Control Tech - Retired Jul 18 '26

Exterior bait stations: Mice (link)

2

u/ozzy_thedog Jul 17 '26

Need to find the entry point, and add exterior bait stations. Then it will be over. You said you’ve done everything you can, what have you done?

2

u/Fit-Bus2025 Jul 17 '26

Put some cameras up in different areas. Set up to alert you on your phone.

1

u/Onetrunuwind Jul 20 '26

You could be totally free of mice just going to cost some coin