Mice are among the most infamous pests the world over, including here in San Mateo, and with good reason. These destructive little buggers spread disease, infest your property with parasites, and destroy everything they touch just for fun! A mouse infestation can be as harmful and dangerous as a rat infestation. That means mice need to be just as high a priority in your San Mateo pest control plan as rats.
How To Tell If You Have A Mouse Infestation
Mice don’t like to interact with people. Even if you’re afraid of mice, there’s no way you’re as scared of them as they are of you! Mice are also most active at night when we’re asleep. So the likelihood of you ever seeing live mice is low, even if you have a substantial infestation. That means you’ll have to look for other signs you have mice. Major signs include:
- Mouse droppings – tiny brown pellets scattered on floors or counters.
- Scurrying sounds in walls.
- Chewed-through pipes, electrical wiring, etc.
- Ripped-up insulation or plush furniture cushions.
- Mouse nests in places like chimneys or under car hoods (mice love to nest in cars that don’t get driven much).
If you start seeing mice, it is an emergency because of the negative impacts these disgusting devils can have on your health.
You Don’t Have To Touch Mice For Them To Make You Sick
Most people know mice can spread various diseases like hantavirus, leptospirosis, and rat-bite fever. But many people don’t realize you don’t even have to come into direct contact with mice to get sick from them. Mice can contaminate the general environment in several different ways.
First off, mice have no compunction about pooping and peeing wherever they are. That means any room or area that contains mice will also be covered in mouse urine and feces – including kitchen counters, pantry shelves, and other food storage and preparation areas. Mice also shed dirty hair and leave contaminated saliva everywhere. And they can smear germs all over surfaces with their filthy feet. They can even contaminate your environment when they come to the end of the mousy line, like if they crawl into your ventilation system to die, then the germs from their rotting corpses will just get blown all over your house.
Why Mouse Traps Aren’t Enough To Get Rid Of An Infestation
It isn’t easy as you might think to get rid of mice. These pests breed exponentially, with a litter of mouse pups sexually maturing in as little as a month and a single female mouse birthing up to ten litters a year, each containing three to fourteen pups. If you do the math, it’s easy to see why sticking a few snap traps around your house is not the best way to keep mice away.
Snap traps and sticky traps don’t kill enough individuals. Poisons might kill more, but OTC rat poisons are dangerous to pets and young children because they don’t know better than to eat them. These slow-killing products also give mice plenty of time to hide in unfortunate places to die – like your AC ducts, plumbing, or other unreachable areas.
Contact The Pros At The First Sign Of Mice In Your Home
Since mice are so dangerous to your health and so challenging to get rid of alone, the best thing you can do is call the pros here at Pacific Pest Management at the first sign of mice. The quicker you contact us, the easier (and cheaper) it will be to eliminate your infestation.