Mice are everywhere. There is no doubt they are an important part of the ecosystem as they are food for a diverse group of animals that are in turn, beneficial to the ecosystem too. Being part of the food chain certainly makes them VIPs.
However, when they take up space in your household, then they can cause several problems. These cute, real-life relatives of Mickey and Minnie Mouse are a real danger to one’s health, aside from being a nuisance and an animal version of an economic saboteur.
The Need For Pest Control For Mice
Mice can spread several deadly diseases—among which include salmonella, rat-bite fever, tungiasis, Listeria, and leptospirosis—to people via their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit. Mice are like dogs who need to mark their territories and they do so by urinating on these territories. In these territories, they build their nests and find their food source. This puts homeowners in danger of getting sick. Mice are also not the cleanest of animals; they crawl on sewers, on trash, and in garbage bins. When they crawl around your dining tables, countertops, and kitchen sinks in search of food, then they inadvertently transfer the bacteria right where you prepare your food.
Mice are also nuisance pests that can cause so many headaches. Mice gnaw on almost anything they fancy: boxes, cardboards, papers, books, furniture, and electric cables. This is because mice have incisors that are constantly growing, and in order to stop their growth, they will have to constantly chew on something. This is how they can cause a lot of damage. They are even fire hazards as they chew electric wires and gas pipes.
The presence of mice will also spell doom for many businesses, particularly in the restaurant and food manufacturing businesses. In the age of Instagram and other forms of social media, a single photo of a mouse in the kitchen will damage their reputation. Not only that, but they may also face closure because as food handlers, they are under obligation to keep their premises free from mice and other rodents.
Description Of Mice
Mice are among the most common household pests in Charlotte. The house mice are 3.75 inches long excluding the tail, have large rounded eyes, are gray in color, with cream-colored bellies. They have pointed muzzles and have four legs. Their tails are longer than their bodies. They are nocturnal creatures. As much as possible mice crawl beside walls where they feel the safest and do not like to be exposed in open spaces. Their incisors are constantly growing, which brings the need for them to constantly chew.
Mice can easily remember the paths that they took and learn new ones if needed. They are highly inquisitive but avoid encounters with humans. They would look for other ways to go back to their nests if they feel there is a threat.
Social Behavior
Mice love to do many things: they eat, they play, and they mate. At 5 weeks of age, a mouse can already reproduce. They can reproduce every 3 weeks, so in a short span, you may be facing several generations of mice.
Mice love to be around each other. They all live together in a nest where they eat together, play together, and sleep cuddled to each other. They are known to laugh when they play. Studies discovered that they also get sad and lonely when they are left alone. They mourn when a mouse dies and they get depressed.
Habitat
Mice usually come from the outside, and they choose houses or buildings wherein they can find food, water, and warm shelter. Once inside, they build nests under floors, in roof spaces, in wall cavities, storage boxes, basements, and wherever it is warm and safe for them to breed.
Types Of Mice
There are several species of mice, and they can be found all throughout the world. Not all of them can be found in the United States, though. Here are the most common types of mice and are considered as major household pests in the country:
House Mouse
They are known as commensal rodents because they live near humans. They benefit from being near humans, while humans do not gain anything from them, and in fact, are harmed by their presence. House mice are 2 to 4 inches in length and weigh .42 to 1.06 oz. They have large, rounded eyes, large ears, small heads, and feet. They are nocturnal, so they sleep during the day, are very inquisitive yet avoid any confrontation with humans. When they forage for food and water, they make sure that they crawl beside the walls because they are uncomfortable in open spaces.
Deer Mouse
Deer mice are usually found in the woods, but if they get near houses or buildings they would enter them to look for food and water. Deer mice can destroy wood structures. They also transmit several types of diseases like leptospirosis and salmonella. A deer mouse is about 5 inches long, and that includes their tails. Their tails are covered with short hair and are just as long as their bodies. They come in grayish to reddish-brown in color with white fur on their bellies.
Field Mice
Field mice are much more suited to living outdoors. During the cold months, however, they will move indoors where it is warm and they can find food and water. A field mouse is about 80 mm to 100 mm in length, excluding the tail. Its tail is around 80 mm long. They feed on fruits, vegetables, and seeds.
Signs That You Have Mice
Mice are dangerous to have around and can cause huge economic damage to you. It is therefore important that you look for these signs so you can act on the problem:
- Presence of mice droppings. Mice poop all the time, anywhere. Their droppings look like black rice grains. This is a sure sign that there are mice inside your house.
- Mice urinate a lot, so there will be a strong ammonia scent.
- Gnaw marks on wood, carpets, boxes, papers, cardboard, and furniture.
- Sometimes you can hear the pitter-patter of their tiny feet, especially at the ceiling.
- Damage to food packs caused by chewing.
- Mice have oily fur. If you find gray smear marks, usually on walls, due to repeated contact with mice.
If you see a single mouse, you are sure to have some more. They usually have a company and they live in a single nest. And as they breed quickly, you may find yourself facing different generations of mice.
Pest Control To Get Rid Of Mice
If you are wondering if pest control can get rid of mice, it surely can. Mice may be smart animals, but we can certainly outsmart them. Here are things you can do to get rid of mice in your home.
- Inspect around your house for cracks, crevices, and holes. If an opening is about the size of a nickel, then a mouse can squeeze through it. Another way to find out if an opening is big enough for mice to fit through is by testing the hole with a pencil. If the pencil fits, then it is big enough for a mouse. Mice have very flexible ribs, so even if they look too big to fit in a small hole, they can still squeeze through as long as their heads can fit in.
- Place a lid on your trash can, and make sure you throw away your garbage regularly.
- Place your food inside sealed containers to keep them safe from mice.
- Use a mousetrap. Place the trap beside walls because this is their natural path.
- Remove clutter inside the house and out in the garden. Clutter can be potential nesting sites for mice because it can give them a nice shelter.
- Put door sweeps on exterior doors.
- You may try rat poison, but be sure to always read the label before use.
These tips will help you get rid of these nasty pests. However, for heavy infestation, it is always recommended that you contact a professional pest control company. An adult female mouse can reproduce every three weeks, that is why it is easy for their numbers to grow.
For your mouse infestation problems, call the best pest control experts in Charlotte, Go-Forth Home Services.
Simply The Best In Pest Control
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned company that has been in existence since 1959. They have excellent experience in exterminating pests like mice, rats, mosquitoes, roaches, bed bugs, poisonous spiders, flies, weevils, moths, ants, termites, and silverfish. They have a team of expert technicians who are highly skilled and well trained, and they use only the latest and most advanced equipment in the business. You can be sure of your family’s safety because they use family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination.
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