If you were to guess which pests are the most common in Evansville homes, you might assume that it’s small insects like wasps or arachnids like spiders, but the truth is that mice are some of the most common home-invading creatures around.
This is because mice, specifically the common house mouse, are used to living alongside humans and have become dependent on us for their survival. They can adapt to living in rural, suburban, and urban homes and buildings, and they need easy access to the food and water that we provide for them.
Because of this, they are one of the most invasive pests, too. They can be difficult to keep out and remove, but you can take some measures to control them.
What Mice In Evansville Look Like?
The first step to dealing with a mouse infestation is to know what these rodents look like. While they can sometimes be mistaken for rats, there are some ways you can tell them apart, such as:
- They have more pointed or triangular faces, while rats have blunter ones.
- Their tails are long and thin, while rats have shorter, scaly tails.
- Mice are about five inches in length, while rats can get up to 15 inches long.
Just How Many Issues Can Mice Cause?
Most people know that having rodents around isn’t a good thing, but you might now know just how many concerns they can create in a residence. To start with, they are very destructive as they can gnaw through materials such as plastic, drywall, wood, and pipes. This means they can damage a lot of belongings and even cause issues with electrical wires and plumbing.
But, what’s even more worrying is how many health risks mice can pose. These include:
- Spreading many different illnesses, including hantavirus and salmonellosis
- Carrying parasites like ticks and fleas which can spread further illnesses, including Lyme disease
- Leading to respiratory problems, including allergic reactions and asthma attacks
Seven Mouse Prevention Tips For Evansville Homes
Because mice are so risky to have around, taking the time to prevent them is essential. It’s a lot easier to try and deter rodents in the first place than it is to eradicate them, and there are many effective measures you can implement around your property.
Here are seven steps to follow:
- Get tight-fitting lids for all garbage cans and remove trash from around the yard.
- Store food products such as grains, flours, and sugars in sealed containers.
- Shore up entry points around the walls and foundation using products such as steel wool that mice can’t chew through.
- Focus on reducing clutter around the house, in outbuildings, and outside.
- Keep kitchens cleaned. This includes regular habits like doing dirty dishes and mopping, but it should also include semi-regular deep cleaning.
- Always wipe up food and drink spills right away.
- Cover vents and other entry points with wire mesh.
The Effective Way To Remove Mouse Infestations
Once they settle into a home, mice are nearly impossible to remove without professional rodent control assistance. They can spread so quickly and reproduce so fast that most baits and traps will only remove some of them, not the entire infestation.
Instead of stressing about mice on your own, let the experts at Action Pest Control help. We will remove any existing mice and make sure they don't come back in the future.