Mice are little creatures that can do huge damage to your home. They chew through almost anything, from cardboard to boxes, books, and even furniture. Even walls are chewed on. And of course, they nibble on our food. They also have a tendency to chew on wires and start a fire. To be fair, mice continue to chew on anything because they have incisors that are constantly growing. Chewing on something helps stop it from growing. As you can see, mice can be adorably cute, but they can cause damage to your home and a big hole in our bank accounts as well.
The thing about mice is that they do not just destroy property; they also transmit several deadly diseases. They do this by contaminating our food and water with their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit. When they chew on our food without us knowing it, we can get infected too. Some of the diseases they are known to transmit are leptospirosis, Lassa fever, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever.
The thing about mice is that they are smart animals. They also have amazing memories. To get rid of them, you will have to outsmart them.
Given their ability to learn, can pest control help in decreasing their numbers? It can, but you will have to be on your toes at all times. To beat mice, you will have to know more about them; their habits, behaviors, and diet. Go-Forth Home Services, the best exterminators in Kernersville, would like to show you how to control mice. Read on.
Description Of Mice
Mice are perhaps one of the most common household pests not only in Kernersville but in the entire world as well. The house mice have large rounded eyes, and are gray in color, with cream-colored bellies. They have pointed muzzles and have four legs. Their tails are longer than their bodies. They may be up to 3.75 inches long excluding the tail. They are nocturnal creatures and crawl into our cabinets, and on our tables, they steal our food, and they leave their droppings. Mice are comfortable crawling beside walls and do not like to be exposed in open spaces. They have constantly growing incisors which is why they are always looking for things to nibble on.
Mice have incredible memories and can easily remember the paths that they took. When there is an obstruction on their old paths, they would look for another way to go back to their nests.
They breed rapidly and can adapt easily to ever-changing conditions. At 5 weeks of age, a mouse can already reproduce. They can reproduce every 3 weeks and can do so until they reach the age of 2 years.
Mice are highly social creatures. They all live together in a nest where they eat together, play together, and sleep together. They 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.
How Do We Know If We Have Mice?
One of the most obvious signs of mice infestation is the presence of mice droppings. Mice defecate anywhere and they poop a lot. Their droppings are black and they look like pellets and are a few millimeters long. Seeing mice droppings is a sure sign that you have mice in the house.
Another sign is when you see your old boxes, cardboard, books, and even clothes with chew marks on them. There would be some debris on your shelves or some gnaw marks everywhere. Mice also leave a scent trail. If you smell something unpleasant, this scent may have come from a mouse. They also leave grease trails. These trails are found in the walls; mice travel near walls so their greasy and dirty bodies usually touch the walls, leaving marks that look like smudges from handprints.
If you find a single mouse inside your house, does that mean there is more? Unfortunately, the answer is yes! When you see a lonesome mouse, you can bet there are much more hidden somewhere. Remember that mice are highly social animals. They always make sure that they are with their fellow mice. Plus, they have the ability to reproduce quickly.
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
These mice are 2 to 4 inches in length, their tails are as long as their bodies, and weigh just .42 to 1.06 oz. They have large, rounded eyes, small heads and feet, and large ears. They are inquisitive but avoid any confrontation with humans. They are nocturnal, so they sleep during the day. When they forage for food and water, they make sure that they crawl beside the walls because they are uncomfortable in open spaces. They choose no season, so you can find them in your home or office at any time of the year. House mice can live without drinking water; they get their hydration through the food that they eat.
Deer Mouse
These types of mice are usually found in the woods. However, if they get near human dwellings, they would willingly enter them in search of food and water. Deer mice are capable of destroying wood structures. Aside from that, they also transmit several types of diseases. The length of a deer mouse is about 5 inches, including their tails. Their tails are just as long—if not longer—than their bodies and are covered with short hair. The color of their bodies is grayish to reddish-brown and white fur on their bellies.
Field Mice
Field mice prefer to live outdoors and rarely go indoors. During the cold months, however, they will enter structures where fruits and vegetables are usually kept. A field mouse is about 80 mm to 100 mm in length, plus the tail which is around 80 mm long. They feed on seed crops of trees like oak, ash, lime, and sycamore. They also feed on apples and legume seeds.
Mice Are Health Concerns
Mice spread diseases in our own homes. Their droppings also trigger asthma. Mice invade our homes because they are searching for food, so when they see the food they eat them. A small part of it at least; the rest of the food, we eat and this is what makes us sick. These foods are contaminated by their saliva and even by their droppings and urine and thus have the potential to make us sick. Mice are known for carrying salmonella, a food-borne disease.
Aside from salmonella, other mice borne diseases include rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and tularemia.
For this reason, living with mice in your house should never be an option; their presence should never be tolerated. Now that you are aware of the signs of mice infestation, you should act immediately and get rid of them. Mice reproduce very quickly and it would be harder to stop them once you have several generations of mice to worry about.
Pest Control For Mice
Can pest control get rid of mice? It certainly can. Here are some tricks you can use to outsmart mice and get them out of your house.
- Inspect your home for holes, cracks, and crevices. If the hole is the size of a nickel, then it is big enough for a mouse to get in. Seal them by caulking.
- Put your food inside sealed plastic containers. Boxes simply would not work against mice because they can just chew on them.
- Use a mousetrap with bait on it. Peanut butter is a good bait. Place the mousetrap next to a wall because that is where their paths are. They do not crawl in open spaces.
- Place a lid on your trash can and throw your garbage regularly. Your trash can is a source of food for mice.
- Fix leaking pipes and faucets.
Follow these tips for a mice-free home. Always remember that good housekeeping is the key to a pest-free life. However, mice spread very quickly without you being aware that they are actually there. In cases like that, you would need the help of professionals. Naturally, you would not want just any professional; you deserve the best.
Call the best pest control company in Kernersville, Go-Forth Home Services, for your pest control needs.
Why Go-Forth Home Services?
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned company with expert experience in handling all kinds of pests. If you are having problems with mice, rats, mosquitoes, roaches, bed bugs, poisonous spiders, weevils, silverfish, flies, wasps, or any kind of pests, we can handle them.
For more information, or to request a free estimate, you may call us now, before it is too late. Our friendly operators are standing by.