Three Blind Mice… so goes the song. However, they are not blind. They can see, but they use their noses to navigate. There are a number of common myths about mice that have been passed along that are simply untrue. So, we’re about to shed some light on science and dispel the myths.

“We have had many pest issues over the years, especially with mice. No one had been able to completely solve our problem until we met Scott.”
-Deb in Wayzata

It is a common myth to think that cheese is one of a mouse’s favorite foods! It is not good for baiting snap traps as they will dry up quickly. A mouse can easily remove it from a trap without getting caught. Plus, it is one of the last things they would prefer to eat. Their favorite food source is nuts, and a close second is chocolate. That’s right, they LOVE chocolate!

Another common myth is that mice only come inside your home in the fall to gain shelter from the winter. The truth is, a mouse will come inside as soon as they come across the urine trail that another mouse left around the outside of your home. That’s right, everywhere a mouse travels, they emit droplets of urine to mark their pathways. When they come into the house, they set up shelter and then go back outside to get their food. It is in the fall months when the weather is changing to colder nights that changes their behavior to find food inside, instead of going outside to get it. The only thing that really changed was where they were looking for their food, and perhaps where they were going to nest during the winter months now that the attic is freezing!

Last but not least, Mice can climb any surface that has texture! They prefer to nest off of the ground. That is why you will find droppings on the top shelf in a room, or ceiling, or anything located off of the ground. Mice are vulnerable on the ground to many different types of predators. They know they have a better chance of surviving if they set up their nest sites in the higher points within a house. If you have a finished basement ceiling, they will choose that. However, I find that in 9 out of 10 homes that have mice, they will migrate into the attic and nest there. Once it gets colder in the fall, they will start going down within the house.