Nashville's Complete Guide To Effective Mouse Control
The house mouse (Mus musculus) causes more damage each year than all but a few rodents. They also can carry and spread diseases and disease-carrying fleas and ticks. House mice live in houses, commercial buildings, barns, and other structures that humans frequent. While originally from Asia, they were brought to North America via European ships.
Description Of House Mice In Nashville
House mice in Nashville are small. They weigh about ½ an ounce and are 5-7 inches long, including 3-4 inches of tail. Their light brownish to gray coloration is good camouflage. They are nocturnal, so if you see a mouse during the day, you probably have a large infestation. Some signs of a mouse infestation include:
- Droppings
- Urine
- Musty smell
- Fresh gnaw marks
- Contamination with droppings and urine in foodstuffs
- Grease marks on walls and floors
- A nest, usually in an out-of-the-way spot
- Scratching noises inside walls or attic spaces at night
Dangers Associated With The House Mouse
House mice can be dangerous. They can carry diseases such as rat-bite fever, tularemia, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and campylobacterosis. You can get these diseases when you come in contact with droppings, urine, or the saliva of mice. It is important to discard any food mice have been in for this reason and to wear a mask when sweeping up or vacuuming the mess mice leave behind.
Mice can cause fires. They sometimes chew on wiring. When they gnaw on it, mice can cause a short that delivers a spark. If there is any fuel that catches the spark, the house can catch on fire. Even if they do not cause a fire, they can destroy the wiring in appliances.
Life Cycle Of The House Mouse
After a gestation period of nineteen to twenty-one days, the mouse has approximately five to six young. These mice reach sexual maturity at six to ten weeks. She may have five to ten litters in her lifetime.
DIY House Mouse Control
The three pillars of mouse control are sanitation, exclusion, and population reduction. Sanitation eliminates things that attract mice to your building. Keep all food, including pet food and birdseed, in metal containers that mice cannot chew through. Pick up pet food each evening and do not put it out again until after the sun comes out. Clean up spilled birdseed under birdfeeders. Remove clutter (inside and outside the home) that gives mice sheltered places to hide and nest. While good sanitation will not completely eliminate mice, poor sanitation definitely attracts them.
Exclusion is not as easy as you might think. Mice can chew through an incredible number of materials; wallboard, wood, plastic screening, rubber, vinyl, insulating foam, plastic, and other things. Steel, concrete, and glass are about all you can use to keep mice out. Plug all holes or gaps ¼ inch or larger, because a mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. Use steel wool to plug the holes and caulk it in place. Make sure doors have good weatherstripping. Gaps around water pipes, vents, or utility cables need to be sealed up, too. Make sure screens on windows and doors fit tightly and don't have any holes.
Population reduction can be difficult. Traps are effective if they are placed in the correct places. Traps should be put out along walls and by nests and holes that mice use to navigate the house. They should not be set the first few days you put them out so mice will get used to them and feed off of the bait you place on them (peanut butter is a favorite.) When you do set the traps, be sure to check them frequently and empty them when full. Traps almost never completely control mice, but they can reduce the numbers.
Professional Help For House Mice Infestations
Getting rid of mice can be very difficult. If even one mouse if left, a whole new infestation can take root in a short period of time
Urbanex in Nashville can take care of your mouse problem for you. We will come out and inspect your property and come up with a plan to eliminate and control mice. Urbanex technicians use a mix of traps and baits to get rid of mice quickly. Once the mice are gone, our technician will switch to baits only and come out thirty days after your initial treatment to follow-up. After that, we come out quarterly to check the bait stations. If you have a trap set and you catch a mouse, we will come out at no extra charge to dispose of the mouse and reset the trap.
Call Urbanex today at (270) 743-9513 and get rid of your mouse problem.
Request Your Free Inspection
Complete the form below to schedule your no obligation inspection.