Mice
Hearing something pitter-pattering around your home late at night? While sound alone is no guarantee, it is possible that those sounds are the first signs of wildlife activity in your home. While there are a variety of potential culprit pests in such a case, one of the most common perpetrators is none other than the common house mouse.
House mice are the most ubiquitous member species of the genus Mus. They typically grow to around 7 inches in length (including the tail) and have fur that is black, brown, or gray in coloration.
But why do house mice enter your home? The answer might surprise you.
According to our wildlife experts, Habitat Displacement is one of the most common reasons for wildlife pest infestation, and house mice are no exception. In the wild, mice tend to nest in fields, wooded areas, or anywhere that provides them with sufficient foliage cover to hide from pests. In these environments, house mice will often spend their days scavenging for nuts, seeds, and other food sources to sustain themselves and their young.
However, while mice living in the wild are rarely a threat to your home, they can be compelled to seek a new hiding place if their home is disturbed. the two most common causes for these types of disturbances are weather changes and construction development. New suburban construction and other development projects often cross into the ecosystems of mice and other wildlife pests and can force them out of these areas.
Further, weather changes such as significant rainfall (such as the storms that have recently occurred here in North Georgia) can flood the nests of mice or otherwise make outdoor living untenable. This can lead the mice to abandon their nesting sites and seek a new home.
House mice are extremely curious by nature, and this can result in them finding a way into your home by chance. They often gain access through unsealed ventilation, pipe systems, or an exterior gap or crack in a wall or roof.
Unfortunately, your home provides an ideal living space for house mice, allowing them a warm nesting environment and ample access to moisture and food. This can allow a large nest to be established in a secluded part of your home, and from there the mice will often spread to other areas as their population grows.
How can mice be a threat to your home?
Mice, like squirrels and other wildlife pests, can often cause problems due to their habit of taking nest building materials from around the home. This can lead to damage to insulation, wiring, and piping systems. In some cases, damaged electrical lines can create a major fire risk. Further, mice will often seek out stored food and can contaminate any food that they can access.
While house mice are rarely dangerous in any sense, homeowners should still use caution when investigating areas of mice activity. Like other furry pests, mice can carry bacteria and other pathogens that could make people and pets sick. As such, cleanup of mice infested areas is a critical part of any treatment plan.
How do you know if mice are in your home?
Homeowners will often first detect mice due to the sounds of their movement late at night. Mice will often move through walls or underneath floorboards at night, seeking food or simply exploring. Upon further investigation, you may also notice pill shaped droppings in areas that the mice have frequented.
If you are seeing mice around your home, a good first step is to place traps in areas that you believe the mice are most active. However, though these DIY traps can be effective in dealing with smaller populations, they will rarely remove 100% of the mice population from your home. Further, it can often be difficult to identify how the mice managed to access your home, and failure to plug this security vulnerability may allow future pest invasion. As such, we recommend that homeowners call in a licensed professional to inspect and treat their homes if they suspect house mice are active.
At Canton Termite and Pest Control, we have decades of experience dealing with pest and wildlife problems faced by residents all around Cherokee County! We employ a range of industry-leading treatment strategies that are designed to safely, effectively, and quickly eradicate pests from your home, regardless of the type and severity of the infestation!
So if you are in need of a knowledgable, reliable pest control service, give us a call today at 770-479-1598! We will be happy to help in any way that we can!
By: Tim
