As I check on homes each week I am finding a new pest this year—shrews.
At first I mistook them for a mouse, which we find coming in homes every year. But unlike mice, they have a long snout and long teeth. They are actually not rodents at all, but related to moles. They eat insects, worms, and seeds and have a very high metabolism, requiring them to feed constantly. I have found them in Lake Geneva, Elkhorn, Williams Bay and Fontana; so it is not just an isolated incident.
How do they get in your home?
They normally live outside unnoticed. However, they can find
their way into a home through any small opening. The most common access point I
have seen on homes is where the electric service enters the house.
A hole is drilled through the wall and the wire is fed
through it, but it is not always sealed up with a filler. It may not be easy to tell if this is the case
in your home because the electric meter box often covers the hole outside, and
interior walls may cover it inside. But mice and shrews can sense the warmth
and get behind the meter box and get in. If walls are unfinished, place your
hand near any hole that was drilled through the wall and see if you can feel
cold air entering. If so, look for droppings or torn insulation—evidence that
this is the access point.
What to do if they are already in?
The best method is placing traps (e.g glue boards or snap
traps) along runways such as along the base of walls. Snap traps should be
placed perpendicular to the wall; i.e. with the bait toward the wall. Peanut
butter is an effective bait. If one is
caught, put your hand inside a plastic bag, pick up the trap and turn the bag
inside out around it; seal the bag and discard it in the trash. Avoid handling
directly due to the potential for disease transmission. Never handle a live
shrew as they can be aggressive.
If you have problems with pest invasions and need someone to
manage the situation, call us at TLC Property Services at (262) 245-8828 and we
can take it from there.
John
John
