Mice… yes, we know, it is a disgusting topic, but it is a reality regardless of how clean you keep your home. There could be a small opening in the basement or a crack in the wall, and the next thing you know you have some unwanted guests playing in your stove. If you catch them early enough, you can avoid having to call in a professional to remove mice in stove insulation. However, if you wait too long or it goes undetected, your best bet will be to call in a professional exterminator.
Damage Caused by Mice in Stove or Stove Insulation
At the top of this list is going to be making the entire household sick. As you know, mice are dirty and carry various diseases wherever they go. Some of the more common diseases are hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), Tularemia, and Salmonella. Of course, there is also the awful smell of their urine and feces. Mice also chew, so they can cause significant damage to the stove insulation as well as cause electrical shorts by chewing through the wiring. If you suspect there was damage to the insulation or wiring, call an appliance repair technician to give it a once over before using it again.
Removing Mice from Your Home
First and foremost, you are going to need to clean. It only takes a few crumbs to feed these critters, and it could be something as simple as food falling between the counter and stove. If you have pets, check underneath, as there is a pretty good chance they were playing with the food or treats and some of them ended up underneath the appliance as a treat for little Mickey.
Next, you want to inspect your home for a possible entry point for rodents. This includes pulling the stove out to check the integrity of the wall and floor behind the appliance. A common entry point for mice is the dryer vent, so that is another area to check to make sure the system is working properly and only allowing air out while not allowing mice to sneak in. Check behind your sink, or anywhere with pipes that could provide a small hole for the mice to sneak in. Also, check the wood for gnawing and droppings. If you find holes, plug them with caulk if they are small, or you can use wire mesh for larger areas.
Next, you will want to set traps to make sure any mice that remain in the home are caught. Believe me, if you see one, there are probably a dozen in the house. Put the traps around the home’s perimeter, right up against the walls, as mice tend to hug the wall when they scurry. Go back to the areas where you found droppings and set traps there as well. If you find mice by the stove, place traps behind the stove up, against the wall.
Once you have the traps set, check them daily. The last thing you want is to catch a mouse and have it sitting in the trap for days.
