You’re not the only one who’s looking for a warm retreat in the winter! As fall gets colder, mice get bolder and try to crawl into your home. Rodents invade about 21 million homes each winter, with 24% of homeowners reporting mice and rat infestations during the chillier months. Luckily, we can help you out if these little guys make it in.
Wiggling Their Way In
A tiny mouse only needs a little space to squeeze into your home—in fact, only a dime-sized hole. Mice will do whatever it takes to get some warmth indoors; they will jump, climb, and chew and gnaw at smaller holes until it’s big enough for them to wiggle right through.
Since these critters are nocturnal and like to nest in secluded spaces, it might be tough to tell if they’ve invaded your home until they become a bigger problem. If you don’t spot one scurrying, you’ll know they’re in your home if you notice:
- Nests or piled nesting materials
- Gnawed holes in stored foods, piled papers, insulation, etc.
- Food scraps or wrappings
- Rodent droppings
- Tracks or runways
- Foul odor
- The sound of skittering on hardwood or laminate floors
Once these unwanted houseguests are in, they don’t exactly keep to themselves. Although they’re small, they can cause mighty amounts of damage and spread disease.
Damages & Dangers
When mice move in, they quickly make themselves at home. Their little families grow quickly, with the possibility of a female mouse having as many as 12 babies every three weeks.
Mice will use anything that they can easily chew, shred, and bunch up to make a cozy nest. This could be old newspapers, clothes or fabric, drywall, or insulation. They’ll also chew through electrical wires, which can cause house fires. Mice will sleep and eat in your home, but they certainly won’t clean up after themselves!
Along with the mess they leave behind, they also bring in potentially dangerous bacterias and diseases. Mice can cause significant damage to your health when you breathe in the small particles from their droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials. You also face a risk of food contamination, since mice contaminate about 10 times more food than they eat.
Cleaning Up
Are you carefully keeping an eye on your floors now? If you do happen to spot signs of mice in your home, take great care in cleaning up after these terrible tenants. Even before you start disinfecting everything, you’ll want to be sure that all of the rodents are eliminated.
When cleaning, it’s extremely important to get rid of any trace of these pests. You’ll want to safely clear away urine and droppings, nests, and dead mice. Don’t forget to check attics, basements, crawl spaces, storage areas, air ducts, vehicles, and outbuildings!
Keeping Mice Out
It’s easier to keep mice out than having to kick them out once they’ve made your home their own. Make sure your home is secure with all holes and cracks sealed, the clutter cleared, with proper drainage at the foundation flowing away from the building.
Hiring the professionals at Parker Pest Control can help you take care of those unpleasant guests. Our treatments are guaranteed for 6 months and they’re done right the first time. You can stay posted on more mice information right here on our blog or on our Facebook page.
If you spot a mouse in your house, contact us for immediate assistance!