Mice
The house mouse is the most commonly encountered and economically important of the commensal rodents. House mice are of Central Asian origin, but they are distributed worldwide and can be found throughout the UAE. House mice are not only a nuisance, but they can pose significant health and property threats.
House mice breed rapidly and can adapt quickly to changing conditions. In fact, a female house mouse can give birth to a half dozen babies every three weeks and can produce up to 35 young per year.
What do mice look like?
Size: 2-4 in. long and under 1 oz. in weight.
Color: Light brown to light gray.
Body Structure: Small, slender bodies covered in short hair. The common house mouse also has large ears, pointed snouts, small eyes, and small feet.
The house mouse matures quickly and can produce offspring at two months of age. In a lifetime, a typical house mouse may have upwards of 50 offspring, producing litters every 40-50 days with up to seven offspring in each litter. The average life span of a house mouse is around one year. The house mouse has a keen sense of hearing and communicates with other mice by emitting squeaks, which occasionally are audible to humans. house mouse outside of home
Spring Summer Fall Winter
Outdoors, mice nest in burrows, in piles of leaves, beneath dense underbrush or tall grasses, in thick shrubbery, underneath debris. They’ve even been found inside cars parked outside.
Indoors, mice nest in areas where they’re warm, safe from predators, and close to food. Common nesting sites include, but are not limited to:
Attics
Basements
Wall voids
Garages
Closets
Under or inside of larger appliances
Under kitchen sink
Inside cabinets and drawers
Ceilings
House mice are omnivorous and will eat grains, fruit, seeds, and pet food, as well as food commonly found in kitchen pantries.
Unfortunately, mice can carry disease and contaminate food with their droppings and urine. This can lead to health risks, including the spread of salmonella which can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Inhaling dried feces may cause allergies or trigger asthma. Mouse urine has been linked to allergies in children.
Additionally, mice introduce fleas and ticks into homes.
Finally, mice are infamous for chewing and damaging wood, drywall, and other building materials, as well as personal property. They also chew through electric wires, which can spark house fires.
Mice are commensal rodents, which means they rely, in part, on humans for their survival. They need food, water, and shelter; if you’re home provides all three AND they’re able to get inside, you’re probably going to have a mouse problem at some point.
For effective rodent control services that get rid of mice and rats from your home or business, you’ll want to reach out to a licensed pest control company. At Miller Pest & Termite, we’ve been exterminating mice and other rodents for more than 20 years and are ready to help Midwesterners solve their rodent infestations, no matter how severe.
Almost all homeowners know the feeling of unease that accompanies finding mice or rodents in your home. Whether in the kitchen, attic, basement or dining room - a rodent sighting can incite surprise and fear in even the most composed homeowner. Unfortunately, these common pests are resourceful creatures that can enter a building or home through the smallest opening or crack, and require very little space to travel inside. Mice can easily fit through spaces as small as a nickel!
Rodents seek shelter indoors, especially during the cooler fall and winter months, and once inside can cause more than just an unpleasant infestation. Rodents put homes at risk for electrical fires by gnawing through wires. More frequently, though, rodents serve as vectors, carrying bacteria, such as salmonella, on their bodies and contaminating food sources, kitchen surfaces and equipment. The common white-footed deer mouse is also known to transmit the potentially fatal Hantavirus.
Simple Rodent Control Tips
Fortunately, there are many ways homeowners can proactively prevent and get rid of rodent infestations in their homes:
1. Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
2. Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
3. Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home, using caulk, steel wool or a combination of both.
4. Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
5. Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
6. Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
7. Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains that provide the perfect breeding site for pests.
8. Inspect items such as boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home.
9. Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery trimmed and cut back from the house.
10. If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to inspect and treat the pest problem.
If you spot evidence of a rodent infestation, do not hesitate to act to handle the problem. Rodents are known to reproduce quickly, and a small problem can turn into a big issue overnight if left untreated.
Rodent control and management are important for health and safety reasons. If you suspect a rodent infestation, visit our Find a Pro page to find a pest control professional in your area.
