Yes, both deer mice and meadow voles live in the dune and beach grass found by the West Michigan lakeshore. It’s a good place for them to hide from hawks and owls, but when the temperatures drop, they head toward buildings.
Dune habitats look sparse, but they’re actually teeming with life. A lot of that life comes in the form of deer mice and meadow voles, neither of which you likely want to room with.
American beachgrass tends to grow in dense clumps with thick roots. This helps it stay firmly in place even while sitting on sand. Creatures that like living near this vegetation can easily burrow there and stay dry.
The trouble is that lakeshore houses and cottages are often right next to, and sometimes even on top of that kind of habitat. The vegetation sometimes goes right up to the foundation. A mouse population living in the dune grass is only a few feet from your crawl space, and every cold snap pushes some of it toward shelter.
It doesn’t help that lakehouses often go unused from October to May. That’s a lot of time to sit dormant. Once rodents get established inside, they can tear insulation and cushions alike and turn them into nests. So homeowners, when they’re unlucky, can come back to droppings and damage. Plus deer mice can spread hantavirus, so even cleaning up droppings requires gloves and a mask. You have to dampen it with disinfectant before wiping and bagging it. It’s a hassle.
To reduce the presence of these pests, it helps to keep a cleared band between dune vegetation and the structure where dune regulations allow you to. Check local regulations first because beachgrass is often protected. Then also screen crawl space vents and deck skirting with hardware cloth and seal up any gaps that allow these pests to get into the home. Before you leave for the season, make sure you remove all food and store fabric and cushions in sealed hard containers.
If mice are getting into your lakeshore home, Mosquito Squad of West Michigan Lakeshore can help. Mosquito Squad finds how mice are getting in, clears them with traps and bait stations, and seals the entry points. Monthly rodent protection is also available through Complete Home & Yard coverage.
