There are not many things in life that can induce a scream out of someone, and certainly none as notorious, as a house mouse. We have all experienced or at least seen on TV someone screaming and jumping in fear at seeing a tiny mouse inside their home. The question is, what does that single mouse mean for a home? Does seeing one mouse mean the whole house is infested? Let’s find out together now.
What Are House Mice?
Chances are you know what a house mouse looks like, small, dusty grey in color, with big round ears. Here are some interesting things about mice you may not know.
- House mice can squeeze through holes as small as a nickel in diameter.
- A house mouse’s teeth are strong enough to chew through metals such as aluminum.
- A single house mouse can produce upwards of 100 droppings a day.
- House mice are extremely good climbers and, given the right tools, can scale a home.
- In a perfect environment, a house mouse can live upwards of two years, but typically live only five months in the wild.
- House mice are some of the most common home-invading pests around the world.
Dangers And Damage Related To House Mice
Just because they are small and can be cute, does not mean that house mice are not a real threat to you and your home. Using their extremely sharp teeth, house mice can do a fair amount of damage to vital features within homes such as electrical wiring, utility piping, furniture, and walls/ceilings. On top of this, mice are incredibly dangerous. Not in that they will bite or scratch you, but more with their capability to carry and spread dangerous diseases. Consider for a moment where house mice spend a lot of their time; around sewers, in trash, and on decaying organisms. Then think about how they scavenge through homes at night getting into boxes of food, leaving their excrement wherever they go, and pawing their dirty feet all over countertops and tables. Sooner or later with this behavior in your home, someone will get seriously sick.
What Seeing A House Mouse Means
By their nature, house mice are typically timid creatures. This means they will do anything in their power to avoid coming face to face with you. To avoid awkward and scary face-to-face encounters, house mice will hide within wall and ceiling voids during the day, and only come out after everyone has gone to sleep. If you see a house mouse out in broad daylight, we have some bad news for you. The only time house mice go out during the day is if they feel overcrowded where they are hiding or are hungry because there isn’t enough food to feed all of their brothers and sisters. In laymen’s terms, if you see a mouse in broad daylight, there are many more hiding where you cannot see them.
Why Mice Are So Difficult To Prevent
Mice are some of the hardest pests to keep out of your home. This is partially due to the fact that they only need a hole the size of a nickel to squeeze inside. This combined with their ability to chew their way through practically anything makes them perfectly build for invading homes.
How To Get Rid Of House Mice
The good news is that getting rid of house mice is simple. All you have to do is give the professionals here at Havard Pest Control a call. We will use our experience and top-of-the-line bait and traps to quickly and effectively remove rodents from your Hattiesburg home.
Don’t risk your safety trying to get rid of house mice on your own. Let the professionals here at Havard help today!