You go to show a property and take your client into the kitchen to look around. Something is sticking out from under the fridge, and so you take a look......Oh gawd....it's a mouse. If you're squemish do NOT look at the first picture.
A live Mouse that is squiggling to get free. Your client hasn't seen it yet, and hey we're all supposed to Disclose....so come on what do you do? Kick the trap back under the fridge, take it out and throw it away, or allow the client to see it and say...well at least the trap worked LOL :)
OK, so now we know the house has a mouse....so I clean my Real Estate Glasses to see what else I might find...please please don't let him/her have more friends.
OK, this is what I found: Look at the metal strip at the bottom of the Door. Come to find out that a while back the owner of the home had an infestation of mice, so called a Pest Control Company.
Apparently the owners were so disgusted that they were willing to do just about anything to get rid of the mice. The Pest Control Company came and did an assessment, and one of the main things that was emphasized was entry points!
Look at the Picture on the left:
Apparently the Pest Control Company put glue traps in different places around the house, steel wool around pipe openings, and then talked the owner into putting metal strips on the bottom of the security door (to keep the mice out).
Do you see anything wrong with this ?
The Owners were distraught over having mice in the house, and after calling in the Professionals, figured they knew what they were doing. Ahh....but my Real Estate eyes saw something they didn't. If a mouse can climb up counters, and jump several feet...how in the world is this 2 inch piece of metal going to keep them out? Look at the opening that is right above the metal strip.
This is what I learned about Mice:
- Mice can manipulate their bodies and squeeze through an opening the size of a dime.
- Mice can't chew through steel wool, like an ordinary SOS Pad....so break off pieces and plug up small holes
- If the home is unoccupied, disinfect everything with bleach as Mouse Droppings can carry diseases
- Glue Traps don't kill a mouse, it only traps them.....there are different traps available including the old fashioned one that you "set" with a spring action. Glue traps are the least humane way to get rid of mice.
- Set traps about every 8-10 ft....but most important CHECK THEM at least every day in the beginning :)
- Mice are most active at night.....so plan to do your Mouse duty in the morning before other Agents get there.
- Mouse Urine smells.....clean with bleach or a disenfectant, and do not touch the area or the mouse with bare hands (yea like we would do this anyway :(
- ***Mice have litters of 6-7 at a time.*** A baby mouse is a Pup.
- Mice can jump quite far......and they can also climb up vertical surfaces...straight up !
Don't let a little Mouse take over your listing.....it's hard enough finding a buyer for a house without the Mouse running them off :) :)
By: Kathy McGraw- CELLing Realty
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