If you've ever felt unprotected from a pest infestation, you've surely asked yourself, "Why are there mice in my home?" These opportunistic rodents will stop at nothing to get inside your home especially as the weather turns colder. In fact, mice are one of the most common home invaders regardless of species because of their motivation to satisfy their three basic needs of food, water, and shelter. Despite their somewhat cute appearance, mice are bad news for your South Pasadena home and the people within. For starters, mice cause a lot of property damage due to a constant need to chew and their relatively sharp claws. Holes in the walls and chewed wires are just the beginning of your property damage woes with a mouse infestation. However, it's their ability to transmit disease that makes them so troublesome for homeowners.
The Problems Mice Cause
Mice are known to transmit salmonella, hantavirus, plague, and even allergies in children due to microdroplets of mouse urine getting left behind. Even worse, they also carry fleas and ticks, making it likely that even more diseases might be transmitted. Finally, the most dangerous thing about mice is their ability to reproduce rapidly. One, two, or even five mice is nothing. When that population becomes 40 or 50, now you have a real big problem affecting your home.
Why They Come Inside
Why do mice desire coming inside even if we don't want them to? It's because they are relentless in their search for food, warmth, and water. This constant drive forces them to seek out opportunities where they exist. Some common attraction factors you may not notice include:
- Crumbs: Whether on the counter or the floor, this represents a gold mine for mice. If they can easily access left behind food morsels, they'll move in without delay.
- Water: If they can access your water, they'll gladly stay put. This can be standing water, a leaky pipe, or even an open toilet lid.
- Open access points: Sometimes, they get in simply because they can. They're attracted to the warmth of your house and they can fit inside holes as small as a dime. If you have the opening, they'll invite themselves.
Mouse Prevention Tips
Fortunately, it's relatively easy to prevent a mouse infestation if you start long before there's a problem. Make note of the following tips:
- Food storage: Properly store your food in plastic or metal containers while also cleaning under refrigerators, ovens, and cupboards to minimize their access to food sources.
- Doors: Add brush strips to the bottom of doors to minimize the number of entry points. This is especially helpful in older houses.
- Pipes: Seal any holes around pipes with coarse grade stainless steel wire wool and caulking to prevent them from chewing their way through.
- Holes: All holes should be filled with steel wool especially around cables or old pipes. If they can't force their way in, then they won't be in your home.
- Water sources: Remove easy access to water in and around your property to minimize how attractive your property is to mice.
Take Care Of The Mice With Kat's Pest Solutions
There's nothing cute about a mouse infestation, which is why our team at Kat's Pest Solutions is ready to pounce to ensure you have a safe and happy home that's rodent-free. Not only do we provide South Pasadena rodent control services that address your concerns immediately, but we also make sure rodents don't make return appearances. If you’ve noticed rodent activity in your house, don’t delay! Contact our team at Kat’s Pest Solutions for your home pest control needs in South Pasadena.