Mouse Facts: Frequently Asked Questions
It’s rare that a property that doesn’t see a field mouse or two every once in a while. These rodents are especially active during the spring and fall. How much do you really know about these critters and do you know how to deter them from entering your home?
What Carpenter, IL Homeowners Need to Know About Mice
- A mouse needs very little space to enter your home. They typically squeeze it through gaps in your foundation, roofline, door frames, and window frames. Checking the outside of your home for gaps once or twice a year and filling any gaps you find with caulk can help prevent mice.
- Mice multiply quickly. Mice can reproduce when they’re as young as one month, so it’s important to call an exterminator when you see even a single mouse.
- A mouse can spread diseases to humans. According to the CDC, there are more than a dozen diseases that can be passed from mice to humans. For that reason, the CDC recommends spraying mouse droppings with a disinfectant, letting it soak in for a few minutes and then gently brushing them into a sealable plastic bag before discarding them in the trash. Sweeping up droppings can cause particles to become airborne.
- Keep food sources and nesting areas for mice well away from your house. These can include piles of firewood, pet food, hay bales, and compost piles. Keep birdseed and feed for livestock in tightly-sealed containers. Get rid of old cars and old tires that mice can use as homes.
- Mice can do a lot of damage to a home. In addition to be annoying, mice can get behind your walls and chew through wires, cables, and drywall.
- Signs of a mouse living in your home include droppings, tufts of fur, small holes in paper and fabric, a musty odor and scratching sounds coming from behind your walls.
While it may seem that having mice in your home occasionally is something you just have to live with, there are a number of ways to make your home unattractive to these pesky and potentially dangerous rodents.
