The most important thing you need to know about mice is that they can spread salmonella, hantavirus, and many other diseases. They can also bite if they are cornered or feel threatened and that bite can be painful and transmit disease to its victim. They can carry parasites into your home, putting you and your family at risk for serious health problems. Mice are also capable of starting fires due to the fact that they like to chew. When they are chewing on live electrical wires, a fire could break out. That type of damage could cause a homeowner to have to renovate or rebuild their entire home.
Most mice are small, around 2-3 inches, and they have long tails. Usually, mice are black, brown, or gray; they have big ears and beady eyes. They enter homes and other structures in search of food, water, and shelter. You may realize you have mice in your home if you hear scratching and scurrying around in your ceilings, walls, floors, attic, or basement. It can be really annoying and keep you up at night. They will try to stay out of sight, but occasionally you will spot a mouse running across the floor scampering to a safe, small space. Their droppings, that are black and rice like in shape and size, can be found throughout a home but are mainly found in the kitchen or pantry. In these areas, you may also find gnaw marks on boxes and bags of food that are stored in your cupboards. You will want to discard any food that has been tampered with in case of contamination. Nests can be found in crawl spaces or other areas that are dark and out of the way. The mice will make their nests out of remnants of paper, yarn, fabric, thread, newspaper, and cardboard.
So, what can you do if you find signs of mice in your home? Well, mice are very hard to get rid of, so it is advisable that you call a professional pest control service. If you are going to try it on your own, you will need to fortify your home by sealing all entry points. This includes every crease, crevice, and crack because mice are extremely clever and sneaky; they can get into a gap as small as a dime. Then you will want to clean up your yard to discourage mice from hanging out around your home. But, if mice do get in, you will want to have all of your food stored in tightly sealed indestructible containers, so that the mice cannot contaminate it. Another way to discourage mice is to clean up spills and messes immediately. You could use bait traps, but to be honest, most are toxic, or they are not effective. Again, your best option is to contact a pest control service that you can trust at the first sign of an infestation so that you can keep your family healthy and safe from diseases and your home safe from the structural damages that mice can cause.
In South Portland, Maine, the company many of your friends and neighbors trust is Big Blue Bug Solutions. Our pest control professionals can prevent mice from invading your space. Our professionals have the knowledge and experience to find and fix all points of entry the mice are using. We will remove all present mice and make sure other mice will not re-infest your home and property again. Big Blue Bug Solutions has been in business for over 80 years, serving homes all around New England with expert, friendly service. To see how we can help you to keep your South Portland home free of mice and other pests, simply contact us today.