Downs Pest Control Mouse Treatments

Many people ask us what we do differently to treat for mice that what they can do. Most homeowners go to the store and buy over-the-counter products like snap traps, sticky traps, and mouse poison. Although we use a lot of the same products that homeowners use or have access to, what we do is a little different that what homeowners usually do.

What our service provides is mainly expertise and access to great professional mouse products that work. We deal with mice all the time, we know how they eat, how the reproduce, how they build nests, and most importantly how to catch them. Our mouse service also allows us to use a wide variety of products that may be difficult for homeowners to get or may be very expensive. Most our rodent services include return visits, visits where we check your traps and remove any mice that have been caught. We also will return at your convenience and make the entire mouse elimination process very easy for you.

For more information about our mouse and rodent services that we offer in Des Moines and to central Iowa visit our mice treatments page or visit our homepage for more information. Mice are very common in Iowa and can cause major problems to your home and your health if not treated quickly.

Also you can contact us at 515-309-2089! Thank you and have great day!

Moles- Pest of the Week

Editor's Note: For some reason, the blog did not want to publish my entry about moles yesterday. I do not know what went wrong, but let's just try to make it work this time.

About Moles Not the cutest animal Source: Wikipedia Moles are most noticed in the spring time when they search for their food and nesting materials. During the winter, when the ground freezes, moles stay deep underground in their nests to stay warm. Moles create burrows, a series of tunnels and nesting sites, which can go as deep as 10-20 feet. Moles can grow up to 6-12”, depending on the species. They usually have a dark gray fur, a slender snout, and very sharp teeth. They have tiny beady eyes that are only capable of distinguishing light from dark, otherwise they are considered blind. Moles have very large front claws that are used for digging. Diet & Reproduction Moles live alone except for when they are rearing young. They usually have about 1-6 per litter, once or twice a year. Mole babies are hairless and blind at birth. Fur begins to appear on the babies at about ten days after birth. It takes about 6-12 months for the mole babies to grow to adult size. Moles diet consists of small invertebrates, usually worms. Moles have a very big appetite; they can eat their weight in worms and other grubs every day. To get their food they usually create new shallow tunnels to find the grubs. Finding the grubs is what usually causes the grass to die. The grubs are in the roots of the grass and cause the roots to be exposed and die off. They do not eat your plants or grasses. Tunnels Moles live most of their lives underground so it is very uncommon to see a mole, but they do come to the surface occasionally for search for water or nesting material. They can dig surface tunnels at a rate of 18 feet per hour. Moles dig two different types of tunnels: shallow and deep tunnels. Shallow tunnels are the tunnels most noticed by homeowners, because it makes the ground weak and collapsible when walked on. Shallow tunnels are also used mainly to get their food. Deep tunnels are the mole’s usual main runway, since it is usually the safest from predators. Deep tunnels are anywhere between 1 foot and 10 feet deep. Moles usually dig their tunnels in soils that are loose, moist, and that have plenty of food sources (worms and grubs). Detection The most common detection of mole is the pathways they create under the lawn. When they burrow, they tend to push the soil upwards and outwards, often killing the grass roots and therefore leaving a path of dead grass that can be unsightly. Mole tunnels are about 1-2 inches wide. If you see a mole hill, a pile of dirt surrounding a hole, then that means the mole tunnels are deep. It’s an easy inspection, walk along your yard and look for ridges or soft parts in the yard.   Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between an active mole tunnel and an abandoned tunnel. A simple way to see if it is an active tunnel is to flatten the tunnel down (step on it). If the tunnel is rebuilt then it is an active tunnel, if it doesn’t after a week then you can bet on it being an abandoned tunnel. Removal There two main ways of removing moles: baits and traps. Mole baits usually come in gel form. The moles are attracted to it, eat it and die from the poison. This method can work pretty well if you use enough bait and place it in the correct places. The only problem with gel baits are that if the mole doesn't die the first time, it will stay away from the bait from then on.   The most effective and usually cheapest method of controlling moles is through traps. Some people have tried and failed using traps. This is because they placed the traps in the wrong places. Placing a trap near the entrance of a suspected mole tunnel is not as effective as actually putting a trap in a tunnel that is used for travel. Placing a trap at the entrance is like standing there with a shovel playing the real life version of Whack-A-Mole, except no moles will stick their heads up out of the holes. Spring traps, harpoon traps, and choker loop traps are all common traps used in the business. The most common trap used, and usually the most humane, is the choker loop trap. The key in placing the traps is placing more than one trap and in active tunnels.