As the temperatures start dropping here in the Northeast we often begin thinking cozy thoughts, pulling out the warm blankets and winter socks and getting ready to settle into winter living. Well, unfortunately, we're not the only ones. The mice of Springfield are also preparing for winter, and often that means taking up residence in a convenient building, such as your house. Perhaps we think tolerantly of the solitary mouse in the old farmhouse making holes in the baseboard and questing for cheese to nibble on, but the reality is a little less quaint. In fact, mouse infestation is one of the more risky infestations to suffer, and it can happen anywhere. Here are five reasons that mice should not be tolerated in the home:
- Mice are messy. Sure it's a pellet here and a puddle there, but mice can leave over 9000 droppings in a year, and even if you're only dealing with field mice escaping the cold, think of just how long winter is in Springfield. Mice also like to build nests in nooks and crannies, and these can be seriously unsanitary mess; a space infested with mice will eventually begin to smell.
- Mice cause damage. Yes, they may widen a crack in the trim, but that's not the worst of it by far. Mice need to chew on things the whittle down their incisors, and they will do it anywhere they can. Objects in storage may be vulnerable, and mice have even been known to chew through electrical wires, risking short-circuit and fire.
- Mice can contaminate food. Sometimes the chewing is just dental maintenance, but often when a mouse chews on something, there's a purpose in mind. Mice will go after any food they can sniff out, and once they reach it, you don't want to risk keeping it. They can chew through paper, cardboard, plastics, and even aluminum to reach their next meal. Remember how messy mice are? They don't wash in warm soapy water before eating. And this brings us to the scary one.
- Mice spread disease. While not incredibly common, the diseases that mice carry are serious, causing respiratory issues and other health risks. All those droppings left around can host bacteria, and simply breathing in the dusty musky atmosphere of a heavily mouse-infested space can put you at risk. If for no other reason than this, wild mice need to stay in the wild and out of your house.
- Mice breed FAST. Mice breed extremely fast and with as many as 13 litters a year, it will not be long before a population will swell out of control. So if you only see a single mouse, it's likely that that won't last long. A house offers a hundred places for mice to take up residence, and with warmth and food at hand, why not settle in and start a family?
So what to do then? Ensuring there are no easy access points is step number one in prevention, and sometimes a few traps or a feline friend will suffice to eliminate an encroachment. But what about a true infestation? There are times when the sheer numbers of mice make them too much of a problem to take care of on your own. Consider letting American Pest Solutions lend a hand. We offer comprehensive rodent control services, putting our expertise to work in ridding your house of rodents completely, and ensuring that once the mice are out, they'll stay out. Isn't that a nice cozy thought?