If you’re a Dallas homeowner, odds are you’ve probably encountered a mouse or two in your day. That’s because mice are some of the most common home-invading pests in the area. Although they may look cute and cuddly, they are some of the most dangerous home-invading pests.
Mice are known to carry a number of harmful diseases that they can spread to humans. This is why it is important to know how to keep mice out of your Dallas home. Furthermore, you need to know the effective mouse control solutions that you can rely upon should your home become infested.
Identifying Common House Mice
Mice are rodents that are typically dust gray or brown with cream-colored bellies. They can grow to be a few inches long not including their tails. Unlike rats, whose ears and tails are hairless, mice have felt-like fur on their ears and tails. As rodents, mice have large front incisors that grow continuously throughout their lives. As such, mice will constantly gnaw on objects to keep their teeth from overgrowing.
Because mice are constantly chewing on objects, if they get inside a home, they can inflict all sorts of costly damage. Mice have been known to chew through wiring, piping, drywall, clothing, furniture, and just about anything else they can get their teeth around.
In addition to this, mice are known to carry a variety of harmful diseases. They can spread dangerous bacteria and human pathogens with their feces, urine, and saliva. Diseases that mice have been known to spread include hantavirus, tularemia, plague, LCM, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever.
Factors That Attract Mice To Homes
There are several factors that could attract mice to your home, the most common being easy access to food and water. Things like leaving food out on counters, leaving out uneaten pet food, and letting the trash overflow could all be factors that attract mice to your home.
Also, mice will enter homes if they find easy ways to get inside. If there are holes or cracks around the foundation of your home through which mice could gain access, they might come inside seeking shelter.
Mice-Prevention Techniques
When it comes to mice prevention, your primary goals should be to remove factors that attract mice inside and seal up potential entry points. To accomplish this, you should:
Store all food in air-tight containers or in the fridge.
Wipe up any spills on floors or countertops immediately.
Pick up uneaten pet food after your pet has finished eating.
Take out the trash regularly and store trash in bins with tight-fitting lids.
Fix leaky pipes or fixtures within your home.
Seal cracks in the foundation of your home.
Fill in holes around your home’s exterior such as around utility lines and pipes.
What To Do If Mice Infest Your Home
If you do find yourself dealing with a mouse infestation, remember that while traditional mousetraps may catch a mouse or two, they are not very effective when it comes to eliminating entire infestations. You need a mouse control solution you can rely on. That’s where we come in. Here at Addison Pest Control, we offer a variety of commercial and residential pest control options so that you can choose the plan that best fits your needs, to ensure your Dallas home is mouse-free all year long. Don’t let mice threaten the health and safety of your family. Give us a call today!