Are you hearing scratching and scurrying around your apartment at night? If you don’t have a cat to confirm your suspicions, you may need to look around for signs that you’re sharing your apartment with an unwelcome furry little friend. Rodent problems are common in big cities, especially in New York apartments, given that most apartments in New York are older multi-unit buildings. Regardless of where you live, if you’ve seen droppings, found bite marks on walls or baseboards, or just have an uneasy feeling you’re not alone, you may have a mouse infestation in your apartment, and it’s time you get rid of them.
Take these four steps to get rid of mice in your apartment
Step 1: Notify your landlord that you suspect mice
Your first call if you suspect a mouse problem is to call your landlord, who may already have a preferred exterminator who can get them out ASAP. If not, your property manager may come over and place snap traps or live traps to see if they’ll take care of the problem or contact a nearby rodent control service. It is part of the landlord’s responsibility to keep the apartment clean and safe for you as a tenant, this includes keeping it pest-free.
Step 2: Find how mice got into your apartment
Before the exterminator or landlord arrives, do your best to determine how the mice got into your apartment in the first place. A young mouse can fit through a hole ½ inch wide, and an adult only needs ⅔ of an inch wide hole to enter your apartment. Take the time to search for entry signs and remedy them to prevent more mice from joining the party. Mice like to travel along one path once they have a mouse trail established, making it a little easier to follow their tracks.
Common signs of a mouse in your apartment
Droppings: Mouse droppings look like brown-black grains of rice. They are typically only 1/4 inches in length and pointed on the ends. If you suspect you have mice but have not found droppings, look in all the places mice…