Understanding Mice
The house mouse is one of the most common home-invading pests inside and outside the Chicago area. They are smaller in size and have broad feet, and their fur ranges from brown to grey. Typically, mice don’t weigh more than one ounce.
Despite their commonplace appearance, however, mice are incredibly dangerous pests to host in your home. These rodents carry several diseases, such as hantavirus, salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis, any of which you may contract from touching the mouse or from their urine and feces, which can turn into dust and become airborne in your home. Mice may also carry parasites like fleas and ticks on them and deposit these pests around your property, starting a separate infestation.
The house mouse can also chew through wood, brick, electrical wires, plumbing, and fabrics. This gnawing combined with their constant scratching can cause significant destruction to your home’s furniture or internal structures and may be costly to repair. Mice can also soil your home with their urine and feces.
Several factors attract mice to a house, most notably easy access to food and water. Any area of trash or food waste that is left unprotected is a major target for these rodents. They also prefer secluded, cluttered areas to hide in, such as a basement, attic, or garage.
Mice will typically make their way into your house through small gaps and cracks – this rodent can squeeze through a hole as small as a regular pen, which makes them very difficult to prevent. Once they have made it inside, mice will hide out in the walls of your home or other dark, sheltered area and will start a nest, something that causes the infestation to grow.
How To Keep Mice Out Of Your Home
If you wonder how to keep mice out of your home, you can follow the prevention tips below to properly mouse-proof your property.
- Proper storage of food, food waste, and trash is essential in keeping mice away from your home. Store leftover food in airtight containers and place all garbage into tightly sealed bags to stop food odors from attracting mice.
- Inspect your home and seal up all potential entry points found in cracks on windows, doors, and your foundation. Be thorough, as mice can squeeze through small holes and use a chew-proof material such as steel wool.
- Regularly declutter and clean up your yard to reduce the number of outdoor hiding spots for mice. You should also keep the grass trimmed low and consider cleaning out any sheds on your property consistently.
Effective Mouse Control
The best thing to get rid of mice is to invest in professional pest control. DIY methods and basic mouse traps won’t get rid of an entire infestation, though they may limit the numbers, which is why you need assistance from the professionals at Aerex Pest Control. The experts will be able to remove mice at the source, leaving your home completely free of this pest.