Fall mornings are typically crisp cool air and the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee, last weekend at my home however, it also included the adrenaline rush of finding a mouse running through the house bright and early. We dealt with the issue immediately, of course. Mice, though they are small, can be one of the most dangerous pests to have in your home.
What makes mice so dangerous? There are a variety of reasons. Most are aware that they spread disease. Hantavirus is a very real and dangerous threat wherever you have rodent activity, and the bubonic plague while rare, can be spread through flea activity on mice. An article released earlier this year on Web MD shared evidence suggesting that Covid-19 can be hosted and spread by not only household pets, but also mice. While currently there is no evidence to show that this has happened, it seems to be a possibility. The chief danger however is not in diseases spread by mice, but by their constant need to chew. The teeth of these rodents are constantly growing, giving the mice a constant need to chew. They chew on everything, including the wiring in your home.
Experts estimate as many as 1 out of 4 house fires can be directly attributed to rodent activity leading to 1.5 billion in damages, and hundreds of deaths annually. October is a great time of year, before the weather gets too cool, to take a look around your home and see what you can do to prevent and treat any rodent problems you may be having.
1) Trim any tree branches back from your home at least 6 feet.
2) Be sure gutters and drainage systems are clean and free from leaves and debris, and functioning appropriately.
3) Leaving pet food and bird seed outside your home can contribute to rodent issues. While birds are a lot of fun to watch, if you have a rodent issue you can’t get rid of, this may be why.
4) Make sure any trash bins and the areas around it are clean and maintained.
5) Check for cracks and crevices under doors, around pipe holes, or even along the eaves that rodents can squeeze into, they need a relatively small hold to squeeze through. Sealing these cracks and crevices can go a long way toward rodent control.
Once you have cleaned and sealed your home, a rodent plan will help take your protection to another level. We have rodent systems available for year round rodent protection to give your home and family the added protection and peace of mind you need to rest easy at night. Give us a call today for more information on rodent treatments and protections plans. Oh and don’t forget to ask about the special pricing for our annual rodent protection plan!