The house mouse is well-adapted for living year-round in homes, food establishments and other structures. Homeowners are especially likely to notice mice during winter, following their fall migration indoors in search of warmth, food and shelter. Once mice become established inside a home, they can be extremely difficult to control.

The House Mouse originated in Asia and spread through Europe many centuries ago. In the 1500s, mice arrived on the ships of the explorers in what is now Florida and Latin America. They quickly spread to the northern shores of North America along with the English and French explorers, traders and colonists.

Although most people consider mice less objectionable than rats, mice are more common and cause significantly more damage. Mice are prolific breeders, producing six to ten litters continuously throughout the year. The greatest economic loss from mice is not due to how much they eat, but what must be thrown out because of damage or contamination. Food, clothing, furniture, books and many other household items are contaminated by their droppings and urine, or damaged by their gnawing. House mice gnaw through electrical wiring causing fires and failure of freezers, clothes dryers and other appliances. Mice also can transmit diseases, most notably salmonellosis (bacterial food poisoning) when food is contaminated with infected rodent feces. Other diseases include rickettsialpox, lymphocytic choriomenigitis, leptospirisis, ratbite fever, tularemia, Lyme disease and dermatitis caused by the bites of mites from the mice. Hantavirus (pulmonary syndrome) is another danger becoming more common.

Mice are nocturnal creatures and are rarely seen by the homeowner. The most obvious indicators of their presence are droppings (1/8 to 1.2 inches long, dark and pointed at both ends), sounds of them running, gnawing or squeaking, or damage to stored food or materials for nesting. Highly curious, mice explore their territory daily, paying special attention to new items or physical changes in their home range. Unlike rats, mice show no aversion to new objects.

Compared to rats, mice forage only short distances from their nest, usually not more than 10 to 25 feet. When food and shelter are adequate, their foraging range may be only a few feet. For this reason, traps and other control devices must be placed in areas where mouse activity is most apparent. Mice prefer to travel adjacent to walls and other edges- another critical point to remember when positioning control devices. Mice seem to prefer cereal grains and seeds in their feeding. They are sporadic in their feeding, particularly when there are many food sources available. In these situations, mice may make 20 to 30 visits to different food sites each night, taking as little as 0.15 gram of food at each site. Sites may vary from night to night, but certain sites where the mouse feels safe are nightly favorites. When food sources are limited, mice may visit the source 200 or more times per night, but only 20 milligrams may be taken during each visit. In all, the average mouse will consume only 3 to 4 grams or about 1/10th of an ounce, of food per night.

Nature First Pest Control uses no baits for mouse control. Nature First Pest Control finds and blocks the entry points. We then use traps to eliminate the remaining mice. Our Green methods are safe, non toxic, and effective, guaranteed.

If you live in Tualatin, Tigard, Beaverton, or the greater Portland Oregon area, give us a call.

Nature First Pest Control does not do mole trapping at this time.

There are five different species of moles in Oregon.

The most common and troublesome species in the Willamette Valley and Beaverton is the Townsend Mole.

Mole Facts:

The Townsend mole is the largest and most common species found in this area.

Moles are very territorial and defend large territories.  You usually do not have as many as you think in the Beaverton and Tigard areas.

Moles follow and eat earthworms. Worms go up and down in the soil based on the moisture supply. When the worms go deep in the late summer due to lack of rain, we see many more mounds than in the spring.  The moles have a much harder time digging in the deeper soil and must move more dirt up to the surface to make their tunnels. You can bring the moles up to the surface (thereby causing them to make fewer mounds) by watering the lawn. This watering will also attract more moles. Trapping moles is much easier when they are working just under the surface.

Moles are not rodents. There are in a separate classification of mammals.

Moles live on earth worms and grubs, they do not eat plants.

If you have a dead lawn with no insect life (no worms), you will not have moles. Many companies offer this toxic solution, however we do not offer chemical lawn treatments.

Moles can run in their tunnels faster than you can walk.

Mole skin is unusual because the hair has no ‘set or grain”. It can be brushed in any direction with equal smoothness. This fur has been used for centuries to cushion injuries caused by rubbing and friction, such as a blister on your foot.

Moles have  ‘Main’  tunnels and ‘feeding’  tunnels, and you need to be able to tell the difference to catch them.

Moles make sounds when courting.

Moles can hear you talking and walking.

Moles have a large amount of hemoglobin in their blood. This makes them very susceptible to bleeding to death from a small injury. On the other hand, they can breath when advancing through the dirt. This ability allows them to avoid most attempts to gas them in their holes.

Moles have good eyesight and will travel above ground at night.

Nature First Pest Control believes that the Organic, ecologically friendly and natural way to control moles is with traps.

This environmentally concious lady had a large family and added to the organic pile daily. However, she turned the pile infrequently and it was resting on bare ground. The rats must have thought they had found Heaven. The rats were actually aerating the pile by burrowing through it.

It is wonderful to be Green and Earth friendly, but you have to do it right. There has to be a bottom on the pile that offers drainage and keeps the rodents out. Loosley placed bricks at the base of the pile work well. Small piles and plastic composting bins need to have quarter inch mesh sealing the underside. You can keep a natural balance in the pile by adding red worms and turning the pile regularly.

Remember, rats will dig under any solid object (your foundation) to hide excess food. A compost pile offers a great deal of excess food.

Nature First Pest Control is your natural Green choice when looking for organic residential and commercial Pest Controls for Ants, Rodents, Wasps, Hornets, Spiders, Grain Beetles, Bats, and more. We need no ‘long term contracts’ to be the elimination experts. Serving, Portland, Beaverton, Tualatin, Tigard, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, Gresham, Hillsboro, Canby, Oregon City, Forrest Grove, Portland, and all of Washington and Multnomah counties

In Beaverton, Tualatin, Tigard, and the greater Portland Metro area, there has been an alien invasion of the Eastern Fox squirrel. Nature First Pest Control first noticed a change in the squirrel population in the residential areas about 15 years ago. I had admired the beautiful large grey squirrels here and noted how they seemed to prefer the conifers to the deciduous trees in the Beaverton, Tualatin,Tigard area. Then my technicians at Nature First Pest Control told me that they noticed that the squirrels had changed from silver to a fox brown color and had significantly changed their behavior patterns.

After talking with local wildlife officials and some animal rescue folks, the facts have emerged.

Indeed, the Portland area Native squirrel population has been invaded and in many cases taken over by the Eastern Fox Squirrel. These invaders have not only taken over this territory but have managed to inbreed with the Native Grey Squirrels. This has resulted in a dramatic extermination of the native Grey Squirrel populations.

The Fox squirrels (not the Native Greys) have a nasty habit of girdling whole sections of Maples and Oaks. They kill whole sections of trees to create a mass of dead leaves from which to make nests. I have 3 severely damaged trees in my yard in Beaverton, demonstrating the effects these alien invaders have on our local environment

These invaders also chew holes in your roof valleys and overlap areas to gain entrance to your attic. Call Nature First Pest Control if you hear noises in your attic.

Nature First Pest Control Inc. Your natural, Child and Pet friendly, organic,

residential and commercial, Ant, Rat, Mouse, Spider, Squirrel, Yellow Jacket,

Hornet, Termite, Silverfish, Flea, Pest Control, extermination, and Green

practices experts. Serving Portland, Beaverton, Tualatin, Tigard, Sherwood,

Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, Gresham, Hillsboro, Canby,

Oregon City, Forrest Grove, Portland, and all of Washington and Multnomah

counties.

What are they?

We trapped these animals under a house recently. We had trapped nine at final count. Most home owners and a lot of beginning techs misidentify these rodents. You can not just throw some bait around and hope to eliminate these comensual (living with humans) rodents.

They look like mice. They are not adult mice, they are very young Norway Rats. Their mother has just weaned them by abandoning them. At this time in their life they are very vulnerable. They are also very stupid and easy to trap. The average Norway rat lives about a year in the wild, and up to 4 or5 years in captivity. The greatest danger to these young  rats is the adult male rat. The mature males hunt the young just like male bears do in the wild. In fact, rats are very closley related to the bear family. 

Nature First Pest Control

Your natural choice when looking for organic green residential and commercial Pest Controls for Ants, Rodents, Wasps, Hornets, Spiders, Grain Beetles, Bats, and more. We need no ‘long term contracts’ to be the elimination experts. Serving Portland, Beaverton, Tualatin, Tigard, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, Gresham, Hillsboro, Canby, Oregon City Forrest Grove, Portland, and all of Washington and Multnoma counties.

Telephone

 503-579-3680 

Nature First Pest Control’s founder points out the obvious.

This rat family not only has an unending supply of bird seed. They have so much of it that they have burrowed down below the foundation of the house. Now it is up to us to catch the whole rat family that is tearing up the insulation under the house and also causing quite a stink. These rats were also chewing on the wireing of the house and could have easily caused a house fire.

This family had a couple of small dogs who apparently tangled with ‘Big Momma Rat’. After their encounter, they would stay well away from this area.

Nature First Pest Control

Your natural choice when looking for organic, green residential and commercial Pest Controls for Ants, Rodents, Wasps, Hornets, Spiders, Grain Beetles, Bats, and more. We need no ‘long term contracts’ to be the elimination experts. Serving Portland, Beaverton, Tualatin, Tigard, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, Gresham, Hillsboro, Canby, Oregon City Forrest Grove, Portland, and all of Washington and Multnoma counties.

Telephone

503-579-3680

Call 503-579-3680  (ask for Randy)

Why was this rodent hole left open?  Rodents will come. Look at your foundation vent screens. This opening is more than big enough for Rats. Nature First Pest Control technicians see these openings every day. This is the usual situation in Beaverton,Tualatin,Tigard and the greater Portland Metro area. Look at your foundation vents.

Nature First Pest Pest Control is your natural, organic, Green practices residential and commercial Ant, Rodent, Wasp, Hornet, Grain Beetle, Bats, and more. Pest Control and elimination experts. Serving Portland, Beaverton,Tualatin, Tigard,and the surrounding areas

Nature First Pest Control

Telephone
503-579-3680

If you are hearing noises in your ceiling or upper walls, look for holes like this.

Your natural organic residential and commercial Ant, Rodent, Wasp, Hornet, Grain Beetle, Bats, and more. Pest Control and elimination experts. Serving Portland Oregon and the surrounding areas.

Nature First Pest Control

Telephone
503-579-3680