There’s more going on here than you might think. Mark Hoffacker, a Hempfield Township exterminator, searches and listens for signs that this house may be infested with mice. Hoffacker has been in the extermination business for over 30 years and said it was one of the busiest years he’s had for mice.
Mark Hoffacker is a man among mice. And, oh, brother – there are plenty of mice out there.
“I’ve been in the extermination business for over 30 years, and this is one of the worst times of year for mice I can remember,” Hoffacker said. He and his wife Terri own Mission Pest Management in Hempfield Township.
As temperatures dropped in November, his mouse calls increased.
There are many conjectures as to why this season is so bad, such as a lack of al fresco dining.
“Sometimes there’s no bottom that we can see,” Hoffacker said.
But he said people shouldn’t be ashamed to seek professional help to repel rodents – he won’t tell anyone.
Exterminators have an unofficial code of conduct: keep silent about customers — especially businesses and accounts with many customers.
Like a detective chasing a criminal, exterminator Mark Hoffacker looks outside of a house for tracks left by mice, like tracks in the snow or a hole for them to squeeze through. The owner of Mission Pest Management in Hempfield Township, Hoffacker, said these were the busiest years he had for mice.
“We just don’t raise these concerns with people outside of the organizations we serve because these types of concerns can damage a reputation fairly quickly,” Hoffacker said. “We provide services to many restaurants, nursing homes, schools and other sensitive customers across the region and schedule our services when we are least likely to see visitors.”
The timing of the trap check is also important.
“Nobody wants to see dead mice in a trap,” Hoffacker said.
What helps is that mouse traps are not placed in the open.
“Mice don’t typically roam in open areas where they can be easily seen, so putting rodent equipment out in the open can reduce the effectiveness of treatment and prevention,” he said.
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Finding food isn’t always the main reason mice take up residence indoors, said John Besic, owner of Besic Pest Control in Transfer.
“The first thing a mouse looks for is nesting material,” Besic said. “That’s why you mostly see them in attics where there’s insulating material.”
For this reason, he recommends placing a cotton ball in a trap the first time a mouse appears.
“Mice will eat almost anything,” Basic said. “They don’t need water because they get it from the food they eat.”
This has been a busy year for mouse infestation calls, according to local exterminators.
Before coming to a mouse house visit, Hoffacker knows he will likely have to play the role of psychologist. Some customers feel embarrassed because they think it means they are dirty.
This is usually not the case.
“I have to get her off the edge,” he said. “Mice can get into a house through holes as small as erasers.”
Chemicals are available to repel and kill mice, but Hoffacker said he tries a less invasive attack when possible.
Removal can cost a few hundred dollars, and for large problems in large buildings, it can cost thousands.
Both advised people to set traps themselves first.
But don’t wait too long to get their help.
“I’ve had cases where mice did so much damage that people had to call in a carpenter to fix it,” Hoffacker said.
