As a child, if you were the reading type, you probably got the image of mice as friendly little animals. Some of the greatest characters in children’s literature are mice, from Mrs. Frisby, to Miss Bianca, or even Ralph and his motorcycle. In movies, Fievel is a historic figure and Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic symbols of American childhood. However, in real life, mice do not save children, or learn to read, they do not travel west, and they do not have pet dogs, they are carriers of disease and can be a very unhealthy nuisance.
Some people find mice to be cute animals, they are even kept as pets, yet those are specially bred mice. They are not the common house mouse or field mouse that can invade your home. These wild mice can carry disease, some very dangerous diseases including:
- Plague
- Salmonella
- Hantavirus
- Lyme Disease
- Typhus
No matter how cute or benign a mouse appears they can be quite deadly. So at the first sign of infestation, you should call the professionals at Staten Island Pest Control. Even before the professionals get to your home there are a few things you can do.
Mice are nocturnal and can rarely be seen during the day. They like to hide in dark places and only room at night. The most common way of identifying that you have a mouse problem is by seeing the evidence of their roaming.
Mice like to try everything, so while they will only eat a little bit they bite into all kinds of foods. Plastic is no deterrent to mice, they will chew through plastic. Only heavy duty containers will keep mice out. Finding holes in unopened food, with small bites in it is a sure sign of mice.
Mice also leave droppings everywhere, so if you see small black dots or pellets, those are likely signs of mice. Clean them up and set a trap or poison.
Finally, mice build nests, much like a bird’s nest mice gather soft items from around the house and build a cozy place to sleep. If you find a collection of odds and ends that looks like a nest you probably have a mouse problem.
How to Kill Mice
Traps-We have all seen the mousetrap, a contraption where set bait and when the mouse eats the bait the trap kills the mouse. It is easy to set and you know where the mouse is when it dies. A crude but effective tool, but it only kills one mouse at a time.
Poison-Mouse and rat poisons are dangerous but can be used to kill a number of mice. The process is simple, just set the poison out for the mice to eat. After a few days of eating the poison, the mice will die. It is fairly effective but not totally. Mice are smart creatures, not Algernon smart but pretty smart, and if the mouse only eats a little of the poison just gets sick, it will not return for more. Poison is also less environmentally friendly and potentially dangerous to have in the house. Both poison and traps require you to get rid of the dead mice yourself, which can be an uncomfortable notion.
Fire-In 1665 London experienced their last of outbreak of bubonic plaque. More than 100,000 people died from the plague carried by flees, and rodents. This Great Plague would sweep London, peaking and falling, and then flaring up again. Then one day in September of the next year, a fire started in a bakery, swept through London. The fire destroyed much of the center of London, but strangely causing few casualties. However, the fire did kill many of the rodents, and no plague outbreaks occurred in the aftermath.
If you have only one or two mice, traps may work, but if they are a real problem, it is best to call Fillmore Pest Control. We will find and kill your mice and dispose of them for you, keeping you safe and healthy. For more information about our rodent control program contact us today.