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A sure sign of late fall is all the different insects and critters moving toward the sunny side of buildings waiting to move indoors. The soybeans are ripe and being harvested which means the Asian beetles have done their job by controlling the aphids on the beans. So the beetles are marching toward the buildings, as are the grasshoppers, box elder bugs, stink bugs, fruit flies, and now that we have had a killing frost, the yellow jackets.

The mice are leaving the fields and gardens and are determined to get inside sheds, garages, and especially the house. I have talked with many gardeners who claim that mice have been more of a problem this year than in past memory. They have eaten beets, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, to name a few.

Mice can cause much damage because of their physical capabilities. They are excellent climbers and swimmers. They can run up almost anything and climb and balance on wires. Mice can survive outdoor temperatures as low as fourteen degrees and squeeze through an opening of one-fourth inch. In a six-month period a pair of house mice can eat four pounds of food that includes paper, clothes, walls, and electrical wiring. In a single year, a female may have five to 10 litters of usually five to six in each litter.

In considering control measures for mice, it is important to know where they live and how they feed. Mice live in grassy or bushy areas, nesting underground in shallow burrows or above ground in densely vegetated or protected areas. They also build nests in thick hay or leaf mulches in the garden or cropping areas.

Some things you can do to control them outdoors include keeping vegetation around buildings trimmed and keeping firewood piles away from buildings. Remove all trash or rubbish, or store it in containers with tight fitting lids. Remove hay or straw mulches away from foundations and don't leave pet food outside. Store bird feed in metal containers with tight lids and clean up waste seed around bird feeders. Put tree guards around young trees, especially fruit trees because mice love bark and roots of young trees.

Although it's time consuming, trapping is an effective control method in homes, garages, and other structures where mice are present. Simple inexpensive wood-based snap traps are effective and can be purchased in most hardware stores. Bait traps with peanut butter, chocolate candy, dried fruit or a small piece of bacon tied securely to the trigger. Mice seldom venture far from the food supply so have traps within 10 feet of where they are active. Glue boards also work as long as children or pets can't come in contact with them.

If you choose to use chemicals, warfarin, diphacinone, chlorophacione, brodifacoum, and bromadiolone, are labeled for control of certain mice. Read and follow all label directions and precautions because these baits can be harmful if ingested by your pet.

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