Perhaps you suspected a mouse infestation in your house over the winter but never saw enough evidence to prompt you to action. Or you procrastinated about addressing these unwelcome tenants, hoping they would move on when the weather improved so you could avoid calling in a pest exterminator to handle the mice. Now spring has sprung, and you can no longer ignore the obvious signs of mice.
The most common giveaway is poop. Mice eat constantly, so they also poop frequently, and they will leave their droppings throughout your home. You may never see a mouse, but they are there. Often, homeowners become suspicious when they hear scurrying noises in walls or attic spaces. You may smell feces and urine in places you would not expect. One customer did not know they had a mouse issue until the washing machine started leaking. During the repair visit, the technician found mouse droppings, mouse urine, and evidence of a chewed-through washer hose that was providing water to the mice–and causing the leak.
Mice are unlikely to leave once they have adopted your home, found food and water, and built a nest. In return for your hospitality, they will wreak havoc in your kitchen, attic, and walls, not to mention potentially ruining appliances and posing a fire hazard as they chew through wires.
As mice prowl through your kitchen and pantry looking for food, they contaminate your food and your food prep areas with urine, feces, and the bacteria and parasites they carry on their bodies. Mice spread nasty diseases, including:
Salmonella
Dysentery
Leptospirosis
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
Hantavirus
The hantavirus is particularly infectious, especially once the mouse droppings dry. Mice also harbor fleas and ticks, which can cause additional problems for humans and pets.
Many cats like to chase and catch mice. Sometimes, cats will cause a false alarm about infestation by bringing in mice from outside. However, when mice find their way in, they nest in places even cats can’t reach. The cat would have to encounter one of the sneaky rodents out and about.
Even then, they will only remove a small number of mice, which reproduce rapidly and move quickly. Every female mouse can produce a litter of up to 12 new mice every three weeks. Your cat can’t keep up with the increasing supply. Furthermore, if your cat does catch the mice, the cat is at risk for mouse-borne diseases, fleas, and ticks, which the cat can then transmit to humans.
For mice, the best approach is to use a professional mouse removal service. Eradicating mice isn’t as simple as putting out and then checking a few traps. Thomas Pest Services will inspect the entire home (inside and out) to assess the problem. We will employ needed remediation measures, including a tamper-resistant rodent baiting system and blocking entry points. We will regularly check for continuing activity to ensure the problem does not recur. Talk to one of our rodent professionals today.