Why You Need Mice Control

Mice may seem like a small and harmless nuisance, but they can cause significant problems for homeowners. Not only can they potentially get into your home or garage, but they can also pose serious health risks and cause major problems outside too.  Did you know, mice poop 50-75 times per day?  Mice are filthy, destructive animals.  That's why controlling mice around your home and outdoor living areas is crucial for maintaining a safe, enjoyable, healthy environment.

BBQ GRILLS & PATIO FURNITURE

Mice tend to chew on just about anything, from wires and insulation to furniture and personal belongings. Even if they aren’t getting inside your home, mice frequently get on BBQ grills, contaminate patio furniture, and often get into parked cars & RVs. Few things are more disgusting than discovering mice droppings in and around your BBQ grill, and the damage they can cause inside a car or RV can easily result in thousands of dollars in remediation. 

CHICKENS

With the cost of eggs and the desire to eat less processed foods, owning chickens has become very popular.  While this can come with many benefits, it also creates new risks.  Chickens are extremely messy, and the chicken feed that ends up under a chicken coop will create an endless food supply for mice.  When mice have unlimited food and a secure place to nest, their population near your home can explode!  A single female mouse can have five to ten litters of babies per year.  Six weeks after a female baby is born, she can start reproducing too.  As you can imagine, a small mouse issue can become a huge problem very rapidly.  If you or your neighbors have chickens, controlling mice around your home becomes even more important!

PROTECTING YOUR FOOD

Once inside, things quickly get worse! Mice are notorious for raiding food supplies. They can contaminate food with bacteria and viruses from their fur, droppings, and urine, leading to significant health concerns. Discovering a mouse has been in your pantry, not only puts your family at high risk, but can (and should) lead to discarding all contaminated food.  This often results in hundreds of dollars of food having to be thrown away.

JUST A FEW THINGS WE HAVE SEEN

We were called to a home where a customer had just installed a large beautiful outdoor kitchen (pictured early in this post), only to discover a few weeks later that mice had been all through the drawers, and all over their cooking equipment. The customer had used the grill the night before and wasn’t sure when the infestation started. YUCK!  Another time, a customer called us because mice had been nesting under their hot tub. Mice had chewed the wiring and destroyed lots of the insulation. The cost of repairs exceeded the value, and the six month old hot tub was hauled to the dump. Another customer come home from vacation and discovered their car in the garage was infested with mice. The damage to wiring, ductwork, and upholstery was just under $8,000. We also frequently see extensive damage to the insulation under homes – often to the point where large sections of the insulation need to be replaced. The damage is common, the risks are real, and the price tag is often expensive.

PREVENTING HEALTH RISKS

Mice are known carriers of diseases such as hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis. They can spread these diseases through their droppings, urine, and saliva, putting your family at risk. By controlling the mouse population around your home, you reduce the likelihood of exposure to these harmful pathogens.

IN CONCLUSION

Controlling mice around your home offers significant benefits, from protecting the health of your family, to helping prevent damage to your property.  We can offer a full-house entry point inspection with written report (and minor repairs if applicable) which offers even more peace of mind.  If you suspect a mouse problem, or you just want to make sure it is far less likely to happen, give us a call for more information and pricing.