Raccoons, mice, and squirrels know it’s time to start storing food and shelter for the winter months when the days get shorter and colder in the fall. They do not hibernate in the winter, yet the warmth and security of your home’s walls and attic make it the ideal winter den. While this is perfect for them, it causes damage to your property and poses health hazards to your family.
If you’re wondering about “How Do I Keep Mice Out of My House During The Winter” we’ll look at how raccoons, mice, and squirrels get into your home, the damage they cause, and the health dangers they bring in our rodent piece today. And, of course, how Staefa Control Systems Inc. can assist you in getting these animals out of your home and back into the wild.
Brief History of Mice
Mice arrived in North America aboard the ships of the colonists and are now present in every state. And they’re frequently found in your Skokie home at this time of year. Have you seen any scurrying or heard any squeaking in the walls? Have you noticed little brown pellets in your kitchen drawers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you most likely have mice.
Preparing for Winter
Mice will consume practically anything. Their diet comprises primarily cereal grains and seeds, but they are open to new things. If they are there, they will prefer foods high in protein, fat, and sugar, and they will appreciate bacon, chocolate, and butter. House mice do not require much water and acquire most of their hydration from the items they ingest. They will, however, drink water if it is accessible, thus denying them water sources may restrict their reproduction potential in your house.
Is There a Mouse in My Home?
Mice are typically nocturnal, however, daytime activity is not uncommon. There are various ways to identify whether you have mice in your house:
- Squeaking and scrambling sounds can be heard on the walls and ceilings.
- There is a musky stench in the air.
- Droppings and urine stains have been discovered in regions where mice travel, forage, and shelter. Kitchen drawers, under stoves, and underneath sinks near plumbing are common places to locate mouse excrement.
- On dusty surfaces, tracks such as footprints and tail traces can be seen.
- Smudges can be found on buildings such as walls, pipelines, and beams. This is due to the oil and grime in mouse fur rubbing off on their travel routes.
- Gnawing can be seen on doors, corners, and other surfaces. There are frequently piles of wood shavings and insulation left over from the gnawing.
- The discovery of a nest is a dead giveaway that you have mice. Nests of burlap, paper, and other fibrous materials are found in garages, closets, basements, and attics. Nests resemble a 4-6 inch diameter ball of loosely braided material.
Breaking & Entering
House mice have various physical characteristics that allow them easy entry to your home:
- They can run up any rough vertical surface and are outstanding climbers.
- They have a 13-inch vertical jump from the floor to a flat surface.
- They are skilled swimmers.
- Their razor-sharp incisors enable them to gain entry into your home by biting and chewing through plastic, wood, aluminum, and other materials.
- Mice have no collar bones and can fit through a dime-sized hole.
Destruction
Mice can wreak costly damage to your house in a variety of ways:
- Their droppings, urine, and hair contaminate food.
- They are “nibblers,” meaning they will try and spoil practically any food they come across. Because they nibble and discard partially eaten items, they waste far more food than they consume.
- They destroy the insulation inside walls and attics, lowering your home’s heating and cooling efficiency.
- They cause structural damage by nibbling and nesting.
- Mice gnaw on wiring, posing a fire threat.
- They frequently construct homes with enormous electrical appliances and ruin the insulation and wiring, which is costly to repair.
- Mice may wreak havoc on family antiques, paintings, books, documents, and other priceless goods stored in attics, basements, and garages.
Health Dangers
Mice can both, directly and indirectly, transmit diseases to humans and pets (via the fleas and ticks that live on them). These are some examples:
- Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning caused by consuming food or water contaminated with rat excrement.
- Rickettsialpox is a disease spread to people by mites that feed on mice. The symptoms are flu-like, with a rash that covers the entire body of the affected person.
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV)– Spread through rodent urine or feces-contaminated dust, or direct contact with rodents or their urine or feces. Flu-like symptoms are present.
- Leptospirosis is caused by swallowing rat feces-contaminated food or water, or by coming into touch with infected rodent urine. Flu-like symptoms are present.
- Ringworm is a cutaneous fungal illness that causes red patches on various body parts.
How Do You Get Rid of These Unwanted Visitors?
There are three primary strategies for keeping mice out of your home. You can attempt them on your own or engage a professional, such as Staefa professionals. Our technicians can fix your mouse. The three ways are as follows:
- Close up any holes or openings more significant than 3/16 of an inch.
- Remove all food sources, including crumbs and pet food. Plastic or metal containers should hold dry goods.
- Traps and poisonous bait stations can be used to control the mouse population.
Staefa’s Control Solution
If you notice one mouse in your house, there are almost certainly more. Controlling a mouse infestation is not something you should attempt on your own. The Eco-Green home programs from Staefa Control Systems cover 60 common household pests, including mice. Our highly experienced service professionals will look for signs of mice in your Skokie house. Then they’ll devise a strategy to get rid of the mice that are already in your home and keep additional from getting in. Mice are currently looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Don’t allow them to make it your home. Find out and don’t hesitate to ask “Do Seasons Determine How Many Mice I May See In my House?” on our website. Call Staefa at 847.316.0620 today to schedule pest control Park Ridge services and keep your family and property safe from mice throughout the year.
