Mice

– Look for small droppings along baseboards.
– Check for gnawed boxes and chewed wires.
– Place a flashlight in dark crawl spaces to spot nests.

Snap traps baited with peanut butter placed along walls and runways; seal all entry points after population reduction; tamper-resistant bait stations for ongoing perimeter control. Traps work best set against walls where mice run. Peanut butter makes good, simple bait. Once the mice are gone, every gap gets sealed. Bait boxes outside keep new mice from coming in.

We set snap traps along runways and reduce numbers first. Then we seal gaps to stop new mice.

– Seal entry points — any gap a pencil can fit through can admit a mouse.

– Store all food including pet food in sealed containers.

– Keep kitchen surfaces clean and empty trash bins nightly.

– Place snap traps along walls and behind appliances where mice travel.

– Remove clutter and cardboard from garage and basement to eliminate nesting material.

– Seal any gap a pencil fits through.

– Store pet food in metal or thick plastic bins.

– Clear clutter and cardboard from basements and attics.

Nests in wall voids, kitchen cabinets, and insulated pipes; home range is small (10–30 feet from nest); enters through gaps as small as 6mm (roughly the diameter of a pencil). Mice breed quickly; one female can produce dozens of young a year. A small problem grows fast when food and shelter are easy to reach.

Mice are common in Portland, especially in older triple-deckers. They come inside in fall and winter.