There is a lot you can learn about an animal from its name, especially when it comes to pests. Scientists tend to be pretty straightforward with naming critters and often use names that pests have earned for themselves through the years. This is because the general public is pretty specific about naming pests according to what they do or how they behave. If it is a pest that flies, we call it a fly. If it is a beetle that gets into carpets, we call it a carpet beetle. If it is a bug that prefers to be in bed, we call it a bed bug. Scientists help make it even easier to understand pests by throwing words like "house" into their names, when a particular pest is prone to entering structures, such as the house centipede, the house spider, and, of course, the house mouse. Today, we're talking about the common house mouse, why it likes to get into your home, and most importantly, how you can prevent it from getting into your home.
"Why do mice get In my house?"
- Harborage — Your Dallas home offers a lot for a mouse. One of the most important things it offers is safety from predators. There are a lot of animals that want to eat a little mouse. When a mouse finds its way into the wall voids, attic spaces, and storage areas of your home or garage, you can bet it is excited. For a human, it's like stumbling onto Disney World in the off-season, when there aren't any lines.
- Food — While a mouse can find a lot of food options outside, it would much prefer to live off the generosity of humans. If it builds a nest in a wall of your pantry and chews a hole through the sheetrock to gain access to boxes of stored foods, it is going to be in heaven. But a mouse doesn't need this perfect situation. It will be content to live in a home where food resources are scarce, simply because it is safer than foraging for food outside.
- Warmth — While it rarely gets too cold for mice to be outside in Dallas, it can get cold enough that they would prefer to be inside a nice, cozy home. As mice explore the perimeter of your home on a cold winter day, escaping heat can prompt those mice to chew their way inside.
"Is it bad to have mice in the house?"
Yes. It is very bad to have mice in your Dallas home. Here are just a few of the many problems mice create:
- Mice chew holes to get in. The holes allow other pests to get in. They also let water into your home and that can lead to mold issues and wood rot.
- Mice chew holes in sheetrock and wood. They use these holes to gain access to kitchens, pantries, and other sensitive locations.
- Mice chew holes in stored items. They'll get into boxes and damage the items inside, such as clothes and photos. They'll also be quick to get into stored furniture. If they do, the holes they create aren't the only way your furniture will be ruined. Mice leave their waste where they sleep.
- Mice chew on wiring. If a mouse chews on a live wire, it can lead to a house fire.
- Mice leave droppings and urine everywhere. This can lead to contamination.
- Mice leave their fur everywhere. These tiny hairs can be contaminated with feces, urine, and harmful bacteria from dumpsters, or worse.
- Mice bring fleas, ticks, and other parasites in with them.
"How do I keep mice out?"
If you want to get rid of mice or keep mice from getting in, the best decision you can make is to reach out to All-Safe Pest & Termite. Mice are extremely difficult to control without proper training and experience. Let our team of licensed pest professionals help you get the results you're looking for. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.