It’s okay to have a dog, a cat, maybe even a bird in your home, but having unwanted mice — no thank you. Mice are dirty and damaging pests that can cost you a pretty penny if you leave an infestation untreated. If you believe there are mice in your home, here are a few warning signs to look out for.
Follow the Trail
As you walk around your home, keep an eye out for small, brown grains of rice. Unfortunately, this isn’t a special grain of rice — it’s mice droppings. If you happen to notice a collection of this feces, you’ve most likely found the nesting or feeding areas. In order to remove these droppings, wear rubber gloves and a protective mask. Disturbing mice feces can actually release harmful bacteria into the air.
Evidence of Gnawing
The house mouse is known for gnawing on everything it can sink its teeth into. This is because they have teeth that are constantly growing and the gnawing will help wear them down. However, this will leave you with ruined wood, plastic, and wiring that can be expensive to replace. Mice infestations are important to address immediately as one small nibble on an electrical wire can lead to a large house fire.
Follow the Trail
Mice are creatures of habit. They will follow the same path, night after night, in order to get from their feeding area to wherever they are nesting. Eventually, you will notice a small trail of dirt and streaking marks along the floor from their fur, feet, and feces. These pests prefer to stay on the perimeter of rooms so check your floors along the baseboards.
Having a goat in your boat or a fox in your box is not too common, but having a mouse in your house — that’s something you might see one day! When your home becomes infested with mice, contact Knockout Pest Control. To learn more or to schedule an inspection, give us a call at (800) 244-7378.
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