Almost all homeowners know the feeling of unease that accompanies finding mice or rodents in your home. Whether in the kitchen, attic, basement or dining room – a rodent sighting can incite surprise and fear in even the most composed homeowner. Unfortunately, these common pests are resourceful creatures that can enter a building or home through the smallest opening or crack, and require very little space to travel inside. Mice can easily fit through spaces as small as a nickel!
Rodents seek shelter indoors, especially during the cooler fall and winter months, and once inside can cause more than just an unpleasant infestation. Rodents put homes at risk for electrical fires by gnawing through wires. More frequently, though, rodents serve as vectors, carrying bacteria, such as salmonella, on their bodies and contaminating food sources, kitchen surfaces and equipment. The common white-footed deer mouse is also known to transmit the potentially fatal Hantavirus.
Simple Rodent Control Tips
Fortunately, there are many ways homeowners can proactively prevent and get rid of rodent infestations in their homes:
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
- Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
- Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home, using caulk, steel wool or a combination of both.
- Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
- Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
- Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
- Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains that provide the perfect breeding site for pests.
- Inspect items such as boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery trimmed and cut back from the house.
- If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to more about mice control.
If you spot evidence of a rodent infestation, do not hesitate to act to handle the problem. Rodents are known to reproduce quickly, and a small problem can turn into a big issue overnight if left untreated.
Rodent control and management are important for health and safety reasons. If you suspect a rodent infestation, visit our Find a Pro page to find a pest control professional in your area.
Practically all mortgage holders know the sensation of anxiety that goes with tracking down mice or rodents in your home. Whether in the kitchen, loft, cellar or lounge area – a rat locating can impel shock and dread in even the most formed property holder. Sadly, these normal nuisances are clever animals that can enter a structure or home through the littlest opening or break, and require next to no space to go inside. Mice can undoubtedly fit through spaces as little as a nickel! Rodents look for cover inside, particularly during the cooler fall and cold weather months, and when inside can cause something other than a horrendous pervasion. Rodents put homes in danger for electrical flames by biting through wires. All the more habitually, however, rodents act as vectors, conveying microbes, for example, salmonella, on their bodies and polluting food sources, kitchen surfaces and gear. The normal white-footed deer mouse is likewise known to communicate the possibly deadly Hantavirus.
