Mouse control in Winnipeg
Bait and trapping combined with a written exclusion report, because a mouse problem that is not sealed out is a mouse problem that returns.
- Size
- 7–10 cm body, plus a tail of similar length
- Look for
- Grey-brown, large ears, pointed snout, 3–6 mm droppings
- Active
- Night; peak indoor pressure October to March
- Found in
- Wall voids, under appliances, insulation, storage
- Health risk
- Contamination and wiring damage; deer mice carry hantavirus
- Price
- $300–$550
- Follow-up
- 7–10 days
- Category
- Rodents
- Availability
- Same-day
What you're dealing with
House mice and deer mice both press indoors as Winnipeg temperatures drop. An adult mouse passes through a gap around 6 mm wide — roughly the diameter of a pencil — so entry points are easy to miss and easy to underestimate.
They breed year-round indoors, contaminate far more food than they consume, and gnaw wiring insulation. Deer mice are also the hantavirus reservoir in this region, which is why droppings should be wetted and wiped rather than swept or vacuumed dry.
Confirm itSigns to look for
- Droppings along walls, in drawers and under sinks
- Gnaw marks on packaging, baseboards and wiring
- Scratching in walls or ceilings at night
- A persistent ammonia-like odour in enclosed spaces
- Grease marks along regular travel routes
How we treat it
- 01Full interior and exterior inspection for entry points, runways and nesting
- 02Tamper-resistant bait stations placed where children and pets cannot access them
- 03Snap trapping in interior areas where bait is not appropriate
- 04Written exclusion report identifying every entry point found, with sizes and locations
- 05Follow-up at 7–10 days to remove catches and confirm the activity has stopped
How to prepare
- Store dry food in sealed hard containers
- Clear clutter from along wall bases so runways are visible
- Do not sweep or dry-vacuum droppings — dampen, wipe and bag them
- Tell us about any pets and where they have access
What to expect
- Visit oneInspection, then treatment of every harbourage area we find. You get a written record of what was applied and where.
- The days afterMost residential activity stops within 1–2 weeks. Sealing the entry points is what makes it permanent.
- Follow-upScheduled at 7–10 days.
Why we treat it this way
Why exclusion matters more than bait
A mouse fits through a gap the width of a pencil — roughly 6 mm. Killing the mice inside a building without closing the entry points produces a clean building that refills from the same route within weeks. Sealing is the part that actually ends the problem; the trapping just clears what is already in.
Why we trap rather than lead with bait indoors
A mouse that eats bait and dies inside a wall void creates an odour problem lasting weeks with no way to retrieve it. Trapping keeps the outcome visible and retrievable, which matters most in living space and near food preparation areas.
Why placement beats quantity
Mice forage within roughly 3 to 9 metres of the nest and travel along walls rather than across open floor. Traps set along a wall in the room with droppings outperform a larger number scattered where a person would find it convenient.
What makes it worse
These are the things we most often arrive to find already done. None of them are unreasonable instincts — they just backfire for reasons that are not obvious.
Using only bait stations and waiting
Bait kills mice but does nothing about the gap they came in through. Buildings treated this way become permanent customers rather than solved problems.
Sealing with expanding foam alone
Mice chew straight through cured foam. It has a role as a sealant behind a barrier, but on its own it is a cosmetic fix that fails within a season.
Assuming a cat solves it
A cat may catch some mice in open space. It has no access to the wall voids and subfloor where the nest actually is, and cannot close the entry point.
What's different here
Winnipeg's freeze-thaw cycles work at foundation cracks and the mortar joints of older brick and stone basements every year, which is why entry points reopen and a building that was sealed five years ago may need review. Pressure rises sharply from September onward as outdoor populations move toward heated structures ahead of winter.
What actually happens, week by week
Not certain it's mice? Send a photo to info@apcexterminators.com and we'll identify it. If it doesn't need treating, we'll tell you that instead of selling you a visit.
Common questions
Do you seal the entry points too?
The report identifies and locates them precisely. Exclusion work itself is quoted separately, and you are free to have your own contractor do it.
Is bait safe with a dog in the house?
Bait goes in tamper-resistant stations in locations pets cannot reach, and we use traps instead wherever there is any doubt.
Why did they appear all at once in October?
Because that is when outdoor temperatures drop below their tolerance. They were likely nearby all summer.
Often found alongside this
Dealing with this right now?
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