How bad is it to find mice in your house? Is it cause for alarm? We're going to dig into this topic and share facts that most Denver residents don't know about mice. We'll look at how mice are unique, what dangers they present, simple prevention tips that help to keep mice out, and what to do when mice get in. If you're currently dealing with a mouse problem, you'll learn all about how to get rid of a mouse infestation right here. If you want immediate assistance with these troublesome pests, consider calling us. We have a range of solutions for dealing with mouse pest control in Denver, and our technicians have the training to get this tough job done right the first time. You don't have to put up with mice in your home.
What's The Difference Between Rats And Mice?
Mice look like baby rats. But rats and mice are actually completely different animals. They are so different that they are unable to breed with each other and produce offspring. In fact, they don't even like to live in the same location. If a structure has a mouse infestation, there is a good chance that there are no rats in the structure, and vice versa.
When it comes to keeping mice or rats out of a structure, there is another difference to consider. Mice require much smaller entry points. An adult mouse, after reaching its full size, can fit through a gap the width of a dime. That is amazingly small, even for these little rodents. If a mouse stumbles upon an entry point smaller than this, it can make it larger. Mice gnaw on wood and other materials.
One last difference you should know about is that mice don't require as much food as rats. It is harder for a population of rats to live exclusively inside your home. Mice can live on crumbs. Rats cannot. Not only can mice live on crumbs, they can derive the moisture they need from many of the foods they eat. So a little house mouse can live in your home without ever leaving, even if food and water resources are limited.
The Dangerous Diseases Mice Are Known To Spread
When it comes to diseases, there are many ways mice and rats are similar, and the differences are somewhat negligible. All rodents are a disease concern. How great is the concern between these two rodents? It has more to do with the environment than each particular rodent. We won't break all of the facts down today. We'll just zero in on a few critical facts that should inspire you to take action to address a mouse infestation quickly.
- House mice pick up germs and spread them. These germs cause stomach ailments. Some more serious bacteria, such as salmonella, can lead to hospitalization.
- House mice are linked to leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tularemia, and other diseases.
- House mice pick up and spread ticks and fleas. These parasites are associated with many diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, typhus, and bartonellosis.
Keep in mind that not all house mice are infected or contaminated. It is also important to note that house mice are not known to spread Hantavirus. That disease is spread through deer mice, white-footed mice, and certain rat species, which is good news if you see signs of mice in your Denver home. On the other side of the coin, there is one fact that is cause for concern. Mice are constantly chewing. When they get into attic spaces, wall voids, and other structural voids, they can find wires and chew on them. Doing this can lead to a house fire.
It is essential to consider the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to house mice. In some ways, they're harmless little critters. But there is a risk to having them in your home.
Natural Prevention Tips For House Mice
If you don't have a mouse infestation yet, there are ways you can prevent one. Mouse control around your home can help you avoid the need to call a professional for rodent control services for mice within your home. The methods we suggest are all-natural. We don't recommend control products because there are far too many ways they can fall short and achieve undesirable results. It is far better to roll your sleeves up and tackle these projects. They'll provide you with long-lasting protection against mouse infestations.
- Mice have poor eyesight and use their other senses to find their way to your home. A mouse will use its whiskers and fur to feel for objects on the ground. Clean away clutter to make it hard for mice to navigate. A mouse will use its nose to map aromas in the environment and will go straight toward a stinky trash receptacle. If you keep your receptacles clean, you'll prevent this.
- When mice enter your yard, they'll hide under a shed or some other exterior structure first. Applying hardware cloth as a skirt around the base of structures can prevent this encroachment.
- When mice get to your landscaping, they'll feel safe if the vegetation is overgrown, or if there are leaves and sticks on the ground. Clearing out the debris and trimming vegetation can deter them.
- Mice subsist on a diet of seeds and nuts. If you have bird feeders near your home, mice will want to live on your property. Consider moving them away from your exterior. If you have trees that produce nuts, staying on top of cleaning those nuts up will help quite a bit.
- When mice explore your exterior, they get underneath your deck or porch. You can use hardware cloth to keep them out of this area.
- Mice will hide behind objects that are next to your exterior. In these hiding places, they feel protected and may gnaw on the wood sills of your home in hiding places. Moving objects away from your exterior can help to prevent this.
- Mice climb trees that are near your home and are able to leap several feet to get to your roof. The reason they can do this is that they can fall from many feet without harming themselves. Trim branches to keep mice from getting up on your roof.
- Mice can climb up to your roof through a downspout in your gutter system. If you stuff something in there, you can prevent this. Make sure to use a material that will allow the water to run out as it should.
- Mice can use pipes on the side of your home to work their way up to high entry points and even your roof. If this is a trouble spot, installing guards on pipes can stop mice in their tracks. Pipe guards look like upside-down cones.
- Mice often get into homes through gaps around plumbing. A can of expanding foam can seal gaps and stop those mice.
- Mice sometimes get into homes through gable vents. Yes. They can scale the sides of some homes as they would a tree. If they get to your gable vents, make sure they are protected with hardware cloth behind your louvers.
- Mice typically enter homes through poor exterior door seals. Replacing weatherstripping and door sweeps is a possible fix. While mice can chew through rubber and weatherstripping, they aren't likely to do so if there isn't a small start gap.
If you have the skills and energy, there are many ways you can work to keep mice out of your home. Mice are simple critters that are motivated by simple factors. All you need to do, in most cases, is alter those factors. If you have higher-than-normal rodent pressures in your yard or trouble addressing the points presented here, contact Absolute Pest Control for help.
Contact The Pros At The First Sign Of Mice In Your Home
When you contact Absolute Pest Control, what can you expect? Why is it better to have our licensed technicians handle your mouse infestation? Our technicians are trained in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which is widely regarded as the gold standard of pest control and accepted by government regulatory agencies. An IPM control program will use environmentally friendly solutions first and is founded on scientific advancements in pest control methods. We evaluate your rodent control problem by considering conducive conditions, tracking activity, looking for entry points, and finding routes. Products are appropriately selected and administered to remove mice from the structure. We apply pest-proofing to seal key areas where mice are entering. The trapping and exclusion plan is evaluated with inspections and monitoring devices and we will give you the all-clear when no mice remain.
Once the mice are removed, we can apply mouse reduction and management solutions around the exterior of your home to keep mice out. We use tamper-resistant bait stations and pest maintenance to achieve the best long-term results.
Do you have questions about mouse control in Denver? We'd love the opportunity to help you find answers. Connect with us today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Denver or to schedule service. We're here to help.
I had the pleasure to work with Justin and he was extremely professional and took the time to answer all of my questions. He put me at ease on all the steps he was going to take in order to get my home back to normal. I would recommend him and Absolute Pest Control to my family and friends.
