There is no easier way to tell if you have a mouse infestation in your New England home except through the sighting of mouse droppings. Once these little rodents have snuck into your home and taken up residence, they will forage for nesting materials and food for their families. They are nocturnal and like to stay hidden, but their feces are left throughout the house, leaving a trail of their comings and goings. You will find droppings in your basement, attic, bathrooms, hallways, bedrooms and anywhere there may be a small morsel for them to steal away. Most frequently your pantry and kitchen will be their main focus as they rip and chew into food items with their sharp claws and teeth. Once the mice have tampered with your food and left droppings nearby, you will need to throw it all away, since it is no longer safe for consumption. Now that they have found everything they need within the walls of your home, they will reproduce and raise their young there. There is no better time to call on the professionals for the removal of the mice and to keep them out for good.
You will need to be able to identify mouse droppings when you see them. They look like a dark grain of rice with pointy ends. They range from dark brown to almost black in color depending on how fresh they are, as they lighten in color the older they get. They are very small, but up to 1/4” in length, and just one mouse will leave behind anywhere between 50-75 droppings a day. If you were to pick one up, only do so with gloves on, the fresh droppings will be somewhat soft. The smell is not something a human can usually detect, however, mice urine is very pungent and can make any home take on an awful smell.
So, what’s the big deal about mouse droppings? In short, they are dangerous to humans and pets. Mouse droppings can spread around 30 different illnesses, some of which are, hantavirus, salmonella, and tularemia. Dogs and cats can also get diseases but can also get infested with fleas that the mice bring into the house with them. If you find some droppings, you will need to clean them up. You should never stir up mouse droppings by sweeping or vacuuming them up, the dust from them will get into the air and can cause serious health issues. You should use gloves, saturate them with a good disinfectant wipe them away with a paper towel, and dispose of them right away in a plastic bag.
Illness is one reason to keep a mouse infestation at bay, but there are other reasons. Mice are constant chewers in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. As a result, they will chew and gnaw on almost anything including furniture, walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, pipes, and wires. If plumbing pipes are damaged by mice, you may experience water damage. If electrical wires are tampered with by a mouse, it could cause a fire that can potentially cause you to lose your entire home.
Mice are hard to get rid of and hard to keep out since they are able to fit into a hole as small as a dime. You have to be sure to eradicate all of the mice and their young from your home, seal off all entry points, and monitor areas where mice are the most active. The best way to do that is through a year-round pest control plan. Our technicians have the knowledge and experience to solve all of your mouse problems, including locating and repairing entry points. Don't live with rodents another day when they can be evicted from your home with one call to Big Blue Bug Solutions.