House mice invasions are inevitable if your home has any small cracks or crevices that they can use to gain entry into your home. These little pests mean you no harm, but, rather, they are looking for basic needs for survival: water and shelter being prime targets, but the presence of food is what will really draw them in.
Mice will eat just about anything, but opened bags of seeds or cereal would be ideal. They will not hesitate to claw, rip, or gnaw their way into those most delectable items. Once these items have been tampered with by a mouse, it will need to be discarded entirely due to contamination. They won’t stop there, however; they will also seek out foods that are high in protein, sugars, and fats. Along with food contamination, they can taint every surface they walk on as they expel feces and urine, and excrete saliva.
A baby mouse can fit through tiny spaces, but even an adult mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Damages around windows and doors or a hole in an exterior wall are easier to recognize, but cracks in your foundation, or damaged vents may not be so noticeable. Mice are also known for gaining access to homes through sewer lines, as well as sink or tub drains, and plumbing or gas lines.
Once inside your home, they will usually set up camp in your attic, basement, laundry room, crawl spaces, or behind major appliances. Mice will gather up paper, insulation, fabric, and other items to build their nests. They will usually forage at night and travel along walls due to their poor eyesight. You might be awakened at night by the faint rustling or scurrying sounds that are a tell-tale sign of a rodent infestation.
Mice are dangerous in many ways, and should not be allowed to remain inside your home for any length of time. If you discover contaminated foods or damaged food packages, feces or urine trails, grease spots along walls, faint noises in the night, or actual mice, contact a pest control professional to eliminate them right away.
The dangers of mice living in your home
- Diseases: Mice urine and feces carry pathogens that can cause a number of health problems such as hantavirus and salmonella.
- Allergies: Some people are susceptible to allergies or asthma attacks due to dried feces and urine; some people are allergic to the mice themselves and can have severe allergic reactions, especially if they infest in large numbers.
- Property damage: Your home and property will be at risk for damages due to their constant need to chew or gnaw on things including your walls, floors, doors, windows, furniture, and personal items.
- Electrical fires: If a mouse decides to chew an electrical wire, there is a potential for a spark that may cause a small or serious fire inside your home.
- Blooding: Similarly, if a mouse chews on a water pipe, it could result in leakage or flooding.
- Parasites: Mice can carry fleas and ticks that can then be introduced into the home. Those fleas can then infest your pets and spread throughout your home. The ticks can become attached to humans and cause dangerous diseases like Lyme disease.
Mice are extremely dangerous when they invade homes and they can be very evasive. The best way to avoid an infestation is to make sure they have no way to get in by sealing off all entry points. You should also make your home less inviting by taking out the trash regularly, cleaning up spills immediately, and fixing leaky pipes and fixtures. In case you encounter an infestation before you have had a chance to seal them out, you should contact a pest control professional. A professional can guarantee complete eradication of the mice and help you prevent future infestations.
The professionals at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators in Davenport and the Quad-Cities are here to help! Contact us to find out more about our Home Guardian SM Service options to control and eliminate pests in your home. Our technicians are experienced and armed with all of the most comprehensive solutions for protection against mice and other home-invading pests. Get started today with Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators!