1. Mice can be found nearly everywhereMice can live in almost any type of environment and can be found all around the world. While they can easily survive in the outdoors, they often invade homes to take advantage of the plentiful food they can find there. Mice living outdoors generally burrow into the ground while mice living in a house or other building can nest in the walls or other nooks and crannies.
2. Mice have ever-growing teeth
Mice have large front teeth specially equipped for gnawing. Strangely enough, these large incisor teeth never stop growing, which can be what allows mice to constantly chew through things without wearing their teeth down to nothing. Mice share this trait with many other rodents, including rats. Since they need to keep their teeth from growing too big, mice constantly chew on anything that’s available, making them destructive to homes. Seeing signs of items that have been chewed on can be a red flag that you may need to look into Baton Rouge pest control.
Mice can chew on nearly anything, including:
- Furniture
- Wires
- Plastic
- Cardboard
3. Mice can fit through really small spaces
You may think your home is mouse proof, but it can be important to double check that every small gap has been covered. Mice can squeeze their bodies through tiny holes and, in some cases, are able to fit through spaces as small as the width of a pencil.
Some common entry points used by mice can be the spaces where the wall meets the ceiling, gaps under doors, or even drains in bathrooms. You can use a combination of foam sealant and wire mesh to fill in gaps and help keep mice out. If they still seem to be getting in somehow, you might need to look for help from a Baton Rouge pest control service.
4. Mice can jump incredibly high
While they may be small, mice can still be incredibly agile. In some cases, they can jump as high as 25 centimeters straight up. This ability can help them reach high places, allowing them to get into your home and access seemingly hard-to-get-to food in pantries and cupboards.
5. Mice can climb surprisingly well
In addition to being great at jumping, mice are skillful climbers. Their sharp claws and strong feet can allow them to scale challenging surfaces such as vertical walls. Even food that seems entirely out of reach to mice may not be safe as you think. Their climbing skills can also allow them to access the attic and roof of your home and hide in places where you might not expect them to. Baton Rouge pest control can help you to ensure that mice aren’t hiding out in the top of your home.
6. Mice don’t rely on sight
Mice can have poor eyesight, especially in bright light. Since they are nocturnal, their eyes can work best in the dark, but even then, it isn’t very good. This doesn’t hinder them too much though as their other senses, especially hearing, can be incredibly acute. Mice can hear things that are out of the range of human hearing and can even communicate with each using ultrasound noises. They can also feel vibrations around them and use this ability to sense potential predators coming from a distance.
7. Mice love to eat
Mice are almost constantly in search of food, and they can eat a surprising range of things in your home. They can eat both plants and meats, and this omnivorous diet allows them to devour just about anything they find. From cereals and grains in your pantry to crumbs that fall under the kitchen table, food can be what draws mice to your home in the first place and can keep them surviving there for a long time. It can be important to look into Baton Rouge pest control to stop a mouse problem from getting out of control.
8. Mice have specific habits
Almost all mice can behave in a similar way. They have specific habits that can help you find and catch them. When they move throughout your house, they will generally stay close to walls, traveling along the edges of the room. Mice are mostly active at night and won’t usually come out into the open during the day. While they can be social towards other mice, they are also territorial and can need to have a large area to themselves.
9. Mice are dirty
Mice can not only cause problems by chewing on your stuff and leaving behind droppings, they can also pose a real risk to the health of anyone around them. Mice can carry all kinds of diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
Diseases carried by mice can include:
- Salmonella
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV)
- Hantavirus
Some of these conditions can be life-threatening. Risk of disease can be the number one reason why it is vital to get help from a Baton Rouge pest control service if your home has been invaded by rodents.
10. Mice can be gotten rid of
Luckily, rodent control can be accomplished with the help of pest control experts in Baton Rouge. By noticing the signs that your home may have a mouse problem, you can be one step closer to solving that problem. Preventative measures, such as sealing off easy mouse access points into your home, can help lessen the risk of a new problem developing. Being well-informed as well as prepared to get help if needed can the best way to keep your home safe from these scurrying, destructive pests.
