The house mouse, designation mus musculus, can be cute - from a distance. Cartoons such as Tom and Jerry portray the house mouse as a welcome visitor in the home, causing only minor mischief that is more entertaining than threatening. The realty is very different.

Once mice are in your home, they wreak havoc. Mice can chew their way through wires, your structure and spoil your stored food. Mice entry points are an obvious sign that mice have been taken up residence in your home. Remember mice only need an entry point the size of a dime, so seal up mice holes is important.

It’s Only One Little Mouse

You may have found evidence of a mouse or seen the little fellow and feel sorry for the little guy; you should, however, remember that where there is one there will be more. The behavior of mice changes when there is an abundance of food. Their natural aggression to one another diminishes and they become more social and live closer in greater numbers with one another and you!

You have probably heard of the expression “breed like rabbits”, well it could easily be referring to mice as well. A single female can produce a litter of 3-14 mice which will mature within 6 weeks. Each female can have between 5-10 litters a year. In other words, if your one mouse is pregnant, within a year you can easily be looking at over 10,000 mice born as a direct result of your one mouse.

Health Risks - Did you know?

Not only are mice unsightly and prone to chewing to manicure their teeth - they can pose a serious health risk to your family. House mice can carry various diseases. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is spread from breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent droppings or urine. Mice droppings are black, rice sized pellets distributed throughout your home. Before cleaning up rodent droppings, understand the health hazards in cleaning up rodent droppings.

Mice can also transmit diseases passively. That is, even without direct contact. Mice are attracted to food and so your dry foods such as cereals and sugar can become contaminated easily. If you spot any tears on packaging be sure to inspect the food for signs of mice. Leptospirosis and Salmonellosis are spread from eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine from infected animals.

What Should I Do?

There are various methods you can choose to get rid of a rodent infestation. Mouse traps, rodent stations and rodent sealing are just a few methods. Alternatively, you can choose the method advocated by the cartoons - adopt a cat. No matter what type of mice control program is utilized, trapping or baiting – it is only a small part. Exclusion, pest proofing, sanitation and harborage reduction are key to a successful protection against rodents. If you think you may have a rodent problem, contact a licensed pest management professional. Thomas Pest Services has been solving rodent and insect problems for those that live, work and play in the Capital Region and surrounding towns like Chatham, Schenectady, Latham, Saratoga Springs and Queensbury with third generation experience. Rodent removal is serious, Thomas Pest Services is licensed in getting rid of rodents, contact us via phone at 1-877-518-2847, via web inquiry, Facebook or Twitter!