Mickey Rochelle

Recently, I was called out to an apartment unit in Asbury Park, NJ after the tenants had complained that mice were observed scampering about the living room. Upon arrival, I placed four RTU (“ready-to-use”) bait stations in the corners of the living room so that I could figure out where the mice were coming from based on whether and how much of the bait was taken.These bait stations fit flush against a wall or corner where mice travel and a curious mouse can’t resist entering and exploring. Once inside, the interior baffles lead them to the bait. These bait stations are the safest way to keep mouse-killing product in residential locations away from children and pets.  

On my follow-up visit, I observed that two of the four stations had activity. For those two stations, the bait was pretty much gone. So, doing some more investigating for the access points into the apartment, I found a hole under the slats of a radiator behind the hot water pipe. I sealed the hole with a chew-proof copper mesh and rebated the RTUs. Once the mice hiding inside are eliminated, with their entry point closed, this troublesome mouse infestation should be completely resolved in a  short amount of time.

Recently, a homeowner in Freehold, NJ contacted Cowleys because of a troublesome mouse infestation. Mouse droppings were all over the home. This poses a serious health hazard because droppings can contaminate food surfaces, and contain many dangerous pathogens. For animals that weighs less than an ounce, mice can transmit serious diseases and cause significant property damage with their incessant gnawing. We see a sharp spike in mouse infestations when outdoor temperatures drop in the fall and winter, and the rodents are looking to escape the harsh outdoor elements. 

Upon arrival, I stated my inspection to determine where there was active rodent activity and how they were gaining access inside and around the home. Because of their size, finding mouse entry points is a challenge. They only need a space around the diameter of a dime to gain entry inside a home. Here, there was extensive rodent activity in the kitchen, which is common since the mice are attracted to accumulated food debris and the heat and moisture in this part of the home. Mice are especially attracted to appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators because of the heat generated by the motors. 

During my kitchen inspection, I found mouse droppings and a mouse hole nearby the dishwasher. I cleaned up the droppings and plugged the hole with a chew-proof copper mesh. I also placed a rodent bait station underneath the dishwasher before closing everything back up. Next, I checked under and behind the stove. There were many droppings, but no holes. Moving onto the next room, I found a hole in the closet along with mice droppings. Mice are attracted to the dark, private locations of closets and it’s quite common to have an  unwanted mouse encounter when opening a closet door. I did the same here: cleaned up the droppings, plugged the hole with copper mesh, and placed a bait station inside. Finally, the last location inside the home where there were droppings was the garage. The garage already had some bait stations inside and I replenished the bait. 

I then turned by attention to the home’s exterior perimeter to determine how the mice were gaining access inside the home in the first place. There was a mouse hole neat the garage area that I sealed. There were already two bait stations outside the home and I replenished the bait. Based on the remaining bait, it was evident that there was heavy rodent activity around the home. With the movement of mice restricted inside the home and all of the bait stations, the mouse population and mouse sightings should dramatically drop down shortly. I’ll be returning for a follow-up to re-inspect and determine additional treatments as necessary. 

Recently, homeowners in Manasquan, NJ had contacted Cowleys after observing mouse droppings in their home. They were especially concerned with contamination issues because they had three young children. Mice can contaminate food, countertops, and flooring with their droppings and pose a serious health hazard. Their droppings can contain many dangerous pathogens, including hantavirus. 

For any mouse infestation, it is critical to determine their entry points into the home and how they are moving about once inside. Invariably, mice will wind their way to the kitchen when they are foraging for food and water. Here, I pulled the dishwasher and refrigerator away from the wall to look for entry points. Sure enough, there were large holes int he walls that went straight down into the crawl space. Mice are attracted to the warmth of motors in appliances and it is common to find them nesting underneath refrigerators and large kitchen appliances. I sealed the holes with chew-proof wire mesh to block direct kitchen access from the crawl space and keep the mice and the droppings away from the family.  

With the infestation contained in the crawl space, I set up RTU bait stations in the crawl space. These stations contain single-feeding bait that are magnets for mice. The mouse population should be drop quickly and with the kitchen entry points sealed, the mice will not be restricted from the living areas of the home.

Recently, a homeowner residing in the coastal community of Belford, NJ contacted Cowleys because of a suspected mouse infestation. Upon arrival, I inspected the areas where there were rodent droppings. The size and shape of droppings contain a wealth of information (in addition to a wealth of pathogens and parasites!). As you’d expect, the size of the droppings is related to the size of the animal. A house mouse, which weigh less than an ounce, produce very small droppings, about the size of a grain of rice, and their droppings often have pointed ends. Rat droppings. Rats weigh many multiples more than a mouse, averaging 8 ounces or so, and not surprisingly their droppings are much larger and often have blunted, rounded ends. The holes I found were big enough for a rat. Although rats need a larger entry hole, it’s not by much. A mouse can enter a hold about the diaper of a dime while rats need a space about the size of a quarter. I told the homeowner the bad news that this was a rat infestation, but the good news is that this infestation would be resolved, and resolved quickly.

I started by cleaning up all of the droppings, which pose a serious health risk. When rodent droppings dry out, particles can become airborne carrying aerosolized viruses including Hantavirus, a potentially fatal respiratory disease. We can’t stress enough the dangers of rodent droppings in an enclosed area. They are a serious biohazard. After finishing up with cleaning the rat mess, I sealed the two entryways being used to access the living areas of the home, one in the kitchen and one in the closet. Because these holes were so large, I used hardware cloth instead of plugging the holes with copper mesh. 

Mice and rats typically enter homes through openings around the foundation, first finding their way into the crawl space or basement. From there, thy travel through wall voids to forage for food and water throughout the home. I located potential access points in the crawl space and also baited the areas where there were indicators of rodent activity. I’m confident that this rat infestation will be resolved quickly with their entry points sealed and the bait stations set up. There should be no more rodent activity in the home’s living areas. I scheduled a two-week follow-up to re-inspect, replenish bait as needed, and apply additional treatments if necessary. Before leaving, I assured the homeowner that there should be an immediate reduction in the quantity of droppings, and if not, to contact us immediately. Although rodent treatments work quickly, they are not instantaneous. It takes some time for those rats inside the home to be eliminated.

Recently, I was sent to a home in Rumson, NJ to resolve a troublesome mouse infestation. The homeowner had observed mouse activity in the garage and utility room, and contacted Cowleys before they found their way inside the living areas of the home. Here, the back wall of the utility room directly abutted the garage. Garages are common entry points for mice and I inspected the area to determine how they could be gaining access inside. There was no shortage of entry points. The mice had numerous ways to get inside the garage. I showed the homeowner what needed to be done to stop the mice from gaining access. Both the garage door and side door had openings that needed to be fixed. Often, weather stripping can deteriorate leaving openings and garage doors do not close all the way down. If you can see daylight coming in, assume a mouse can as well. 

I went to work plugging the the hole in the wall into the utility room from the garage with a chew-proof copper mesh. I also installed three RTU (Ready-to-Use) bait stations. These stations have a special key needed to open up the boxes to apply the bait cannot be accessed by non-target animals. These stations also allow me to monitor the level of rodent activity when replenishing the bait. After finishing up with the garage, I plugged up the holes in the utility room and installed two more RTU bait stations there. The homeowner did the right thing by contacting Cowleys at the first sign of rodent trouble. It is far easier to deal with an infestation before they gain access in the kitchen and other living areas of the home.