Get the facts on that mouse in your house
So you’ve found a mouse in your home… It’s okay, take a breath.
We’re walking you through all the facts you need to know about these intruders, how to get rid of them, and how to clean up after them.
Trust us, there is no better way to strategize against these pests than to know all the facts about them!
Mice always find their way inside
Mice love to nest inside of our warm, comfy homes. They love it so much that they’ll do just about anything to find a way in.
A mouse, being just a few inches long, can fit through spaces as tiny as the size of a dime. That’s right, an opening that small could be responsible for a potential mouse infestation in your home.
See our blog on 6 Home Entry Points for Pests Big and Small to learn more about how mice are getting in.
Mice are experts at hiding
Mice don’t normally hang out in plain sight. Once a mouse finds its way into your home, it likes to nest in the most secret of places – typically near a source of food.
Some popular mice hideouts include attics, walls, crawl spaces, basements, insulation, air ducts, venting systems and even behind kitchen cabinets.
Believe us, there are plenty of places for these vermin to hide out in your home – places you might not even think of.
Mice love to eat
As we said, mice would prefer to nest near their food source. Put yourself in their shoes. If you had an appetite as big as theirs, might it be convenient for you to be close to the buffet table? Despite their tiny bodies, mice eat anywhere from 15 to 20 times a day! That’s right – 15 to 20 times!
A mouse will chew right through anything standing in the way of it’s favorite foods. This includes cardboard boxes containing pasta, cereal, oatmeal, etc. (mice love their grains!). To eliminate this issue, try storing your boxed foods in plastic containers or Tupperware instead.
Mice are grosser than you’d think
Mice carry numerous diseases – diseases you do not want in your home. Any kind of contact with a mouse (bites, feces, saliva or urine) can result in those diseases being transmitted to you or your family.
Types of diseases transmitted by mice
Hantavirus- Is a serious and life-threatening disease transmitted by many rodents, but particularly deer mice. The virus is found in the urine and/or feces of the host animal. If a human merely comes in contact with contaminated dust from mice nests or droppings – they can become ill. Early symptoms include chills, muscle aches and fever, but can quickly worsen to include a dry cough, headache, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and general malaise. Salmonella- Is a bacteria food-borne illness and can be transmitted when mice and other rodents contaminate food or working surfaces where food is prepared. Common symptoms displayed by humans who have contracted salmonella include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can last for up to seven days. Younger children and the elderly are at higher risk for salmonella. Lyme disease, colorado tick fever, babesiosis, and rickettsialpox can be indirectly transmitted to mice from insects like ticks and fleas and then to humans.
They can destroy your home
Mice love chewing on wiring in our attics and walls. Not only does chewing allow them to creep into the spaces that the wires are blocking but chewing also helps sharpen their teeth. Without razor sharp teeth, how else would mice chew through all of your pasta and cereal boxes? Duh! In addition to wires, mice are also known to chew through soft concrete, wood, drywall, rubber, insulation, aluminum – the list goes on!
They multiply fast
The phrase, “there’s more where that came from, has never applied to anything better than it does to mice. Just one female produces five to ten litters per year with six to eight babies per litter. That’s a lot of mice running around! If you’ve spotted a mouse in your home, odds are there is (or will soon be) more where it came from.
How to get rid of mice
Identifying the popular entry points for these pests is a great place to start when it comes to keeping your house mouse-free. Unfortunately, no matter how diligent we are mice can still seem to find their way in. Setting up snap traps or bait stations are simple and inexpensive ways to get rid of your mouse problem on your own.
Getting rid of mice is no easy task and sometimes it take a professional to get the job done. Here at Killingsworth, we like to consider ourselves pest control experts. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
What to do after your mice infestation
Vacuuming and sweeping is a huge no-no when it comes to cleaning up mice droppings. Instead, spray the area with a disinfectant or bleach and water, wipe it up with a paper towel and dispose of the towel. By cleaning up this way, you avoid releasing any nasty mouse-bacteria into your air like you would if you swept or vacuumed.
We at Killingsworth believe that your home is not the place for pests and wildlife. If you agree, you should know that the key to keeping pests and wildlife out of your home is hiring a quality and reliable pest and wildlife control company. Schedule a pest control service with our experts today!
