Do you have a mouse? No, we are not talking about the cute pet that you cuddle and play with once in a while and feed every day. A pet mouse is safe and contained. They are not known to cause any trouble unless they make a great escape from their cages; in which case it is all on you.
What I am talking about are the pests that haunt us each night. Mice are cute but dangerous and are relentless on trying to destroy what they can chew.
If you find chew marks on boxes, cardboard, books, boxes, and furniture; or find black little pellets around the house, then you probably have a mouse in the house. You might have even seen one staring at you from the kitchen tabletop. However way you found out, you are certain that there is at least one mouse going around your house. You are probably thinking about whether you really have just one, or there might be more. The last thing you want is a full-blown mice infestation; but what makes an infestation anyway? This is something every household owner for them to plan out the necessary steps they need to solve this problem.
In this article, Go-Forth Home Services, the leading Hickory and Lenoir rodent control services since 1959, would like to talk about mice infestation problems and how to solve them.
How Many Mice Should It Take To Consider It An Infestation?
A single mouse or two right now does not necessarily mean you have an infestation problem, but chances are you will. If the mouse was able to build its nest inside your house, then you have a much bigger problem.
The reason for this is that mice reproduce rather quickly. A female mouse is already sexually active by the age of five weeks, and given that mice are always active sexually, she will continue to give birth every three weeks until she dies. She can have anywhere from five to twelve offspring in one litter. And that is just for one mouse alone. Based on that, you can just imagine how many more of them there will be out of those a single pair of mice that were initially there in your house.
This is why whenever you see a single mouse in your house, you should take steps on how to get rid of it before it is too late.
To be able to do that, we should know how mice behave. Let us find out more about mice.
Types of Mice
Mice can be found all over the world, except in Antarctica. Fortunately, not all of them are in the United States. Here are the most common ones we encounter here at home:
- House mouse - The house mouse is the most common of this set. It is 2 to 4 inches in length and weighs just .42 to 1.06 oz. They have large, rounded eyes, small heads and feet, large ears, and long tails. They say curiosity killed the cat, but house mice are just as curious, but they avoid any confrontation with humans. One way they avoid any confrontation is that they make sure that they crawl beside walls so they would not have to be exposed out in the open. They are uncomfortable in open spaces. This leaves grease trails on walls instead of the floors. They are nocturnal so they forage for food and water only at night. House mice can survive without drinking water. They get their hydration through the food that they eat.
- Deer mouse - The deer mice usually reside in the woods. However, if they get near human dwellings, they would enter them in order to find food and water. Be wary of deer mouse because they can destroy wood structures and transmit several types of diseases. A deer mouse is about 5 inches in length, excluding their tails. They have tails that are just as long as their bodies and are covered with short hair. They come in grayish to reddish-brown in color with white fur on their bellies.
- Field mice - Field mice, true to their name, prefer to live outdoors. During the cold months, though, they enter structures where fruits, vegetables, and shelter can be found. A field mouse is about 80 mm to 100 mm in length, Their tails are around 80 mm long. They feed on seed crops of trees like oak, ash, lime, and sycamore, apples, and legume seeds.
Behavior
Mice are creatures of the night that crawl inside our homes and into cabinets to steal our food. They are comfortable crawling beside walls and do not like to be exposed in open spaces, which, come to think of it, makes good sense. Notice how policemen during raids inch their way to a dangerous place with their backs against the wall because this is the safest way to go.
Mice are very intelligent creatures. They have incredible long-term memories and can easily remember the paths that they take. Mice recognize new obstructions in the usual paths they take and they will look for other ways to go back to their nests. They are also one of the few creatures that can recognize their owners.
At 5 weeks of age, female mice can already reproduce. They can reproduce every 3 weeks and can do so until they reach the age of 2 years, their actual lifespan. What makes their species successful is that they breed rapidly and can adapt easily to ever-changing conditions. Mice are highly sociable creatures. They all live in a single nest where they all live together and eat, play, and sleep together. Mice laugh when they play. They get sad and lonely when they are left alone. When a fellow mouse dies, they mourn and they get depressed. They are very sexually active, giving them a steady supply of offspring every few weeks.
Why Do I Have Mice In My House?
This is probably the question you are asking. You probably feel violated when a mouse gets in your house as if you have an uninvited guest crashing your party. Don’t worry, you are not alone in feeling this way.
Despite your efforts in keeping your house clean, you still have mice and you think it is unfair. Here are some of the reasons why you still have mice in your house:
- Your house has cracks or holes wherein they can easily enter. Mice have flexible bodies and can fit in a hole the size of a nickel. As long as their heads can squeeze in, the rest of their bodies would not have any problems fitting in.
- They found a water source, like leaky pipes and faucets.
- They found food sources like uncovered trash cans and garbage bins.
- You have uncovered food on the table, which is all the more reason for them to stay.
- There are lots of places to hide, like old boxes, books, cardboard, and any kind of clutter.
Why You Should Not Have Mice
Mice may be tiny, cute little creatures with round eyes, but they are no means friendly. They are more than a mere nuisance; their presence can damage your property.
Mice have incisors that are constantly growing. This can be painful and uncomfortable for them, so they need to chew on something to relieve them from the pain as well as preventing the incisors from growing any further. This is why they always chew on boxes, cardboards, papers, books, furniture, and walls. They even chew on gas pipes and electric cables, making them fire hazards as well.
Mice are high health risks because they carry diseases as well. The diseases they carry include salmonella, leptospirosis, and hantavirus. These diseases can be fatal if not treated. Diseases are transmitted when our food and water are contaminated by mice droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit.
Now that we have established how dangerous mice can be, getting rid of mice should be a top priority.
If you already have mice infestation problems, you can call the professionals. The best pest control company, Go-Forth Home Services, is just one phone call away.
Why Go-Forth Home Services?
You may have probably tried mice traps that do not work anymore, and you are probably wondering why. The thing is, mice are very intelligent, they recognize new obstructions and they avoid them at all costs. This is why DIY’s fail most of the time. Enter Go-Forth Home Services.
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned commercial service solutions provider of modern pest control services and techniques, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business, making our service to you more efficient, safer, and more convenient. We have a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.
It is time to act now! For more information, or to request a free quote, call us now. Our friendly operators are standing by.