If you see one mouse in your home, how many are there actually?A good rule of thumb is that if you see one, there is most definitely more than one. Well, considering they can give birth up to 10 times a year, in a matter of six weeks you could have over 200 mice nesting in your house! If you see one, there are way more that you won’t see and a hundred spots they could be hiding. That’s what makes them so problematic; not only do they hide well, but they can cause quite a bit of destruction to your home. The question you may be asking yourself is, when do I need to start worrying about my rodent problem and what can I do about it?
When do I need to start worrying about rodent problems?
Mice reproduce year round, so the risk of an infestation is constant. So if you see a mouse scurry across the floor in your kitchen, there are going to be offspring within weeks no matter what season. They have an incredibly fast reproduction rate, and the females can become pregnant immediately after birth. The gestation period is anywhere from 19-21 days, so if a mouse finds a suitable mate, you might have a serious problem on your hands.
Although these rodents reproduce year-round, the colder the weather, the more likely they are to sneak into your home. Winter may cause small structural damage to your property by opening new cracks and crevices in your walls that weren’t there before. Although these damages may seem small and nothing to worry about, these are like new highways into your home for mice, who can squeeze into spaces as small as ¼ of an inch wide–allowing for these critters to access the endless supply of food and warmth that your home unintentionally provides them.
Even though mice are more likely to enter your house during the winter months (mostly because of how cold it is outdoors, and how nice and cozy the dark corners of your house are), they can remain hidden in your home well into spring and summer before you see the first one. Places like kitchen cabinets and attic corners are out of sight and out of your mind, at least until one darts across your bedroom floor. If you see a mouse or hear them in your walls, call immediately so we can get it taken care of– before you end up with 200 roommates.
Where should I check for mice?
Mice tend to hang out wherever they can find a consistent source of food and the least amount of people possible. A lot of times they are found scurrying across the kitchen floor, the most common area for food to fall right into their paws. Another area they tend to hang around is basements or crawl spaces. If they can stay away from you and your cat, they are content with life, no matter how cold and dark it is. Attics also draw these rodents’ attention for the same reason; they like to stay hidden. A lot of the time, you won’t see them but they leave traces in the form of droppings behind things like your washing machine or refrigerator, or in the corners of your garage.
They also tend to gather in your pantry, where unused boxes of ramen are sitting forgotten in the back corner, easily accessible to a hungry mouse. It may be a riskier option, but at least there is plenty of food. Making sure to keep any open boxes of food in airtight containers keeps these rodents from accessing it and possibly spreading disease and bacteria.
How can I prevent an infestation?
Keep your floor clean
Sweeping regularly and keeping garbage in bins will greatly reduce the chances of mice in your home. If there is nothing to eat and nowhere to hide, they aren’t likely to stay.
Keep all food in fully-sealed containers
Finding mice in your new box of cereal is not only a terrifying thought, but another reason you might want to invest in something to keep them out. Spending a few extra dollars on some reusable rodent proof containers will go a long way. These will help prevent mice from accessing any of your food.
Seal up any openings in your walls
Making sure that mice can’t access your home in the first place is crucial when trying to prevent an infestation. There will always be things you overlook, but it is good to try to seal up any cracks before the mice get in.
Call a professional!
Even if you think that one mouse isn’t a big deal, it definitely could be. This is the most important part in preventing an infestation, it is the difference between a dead mouse and a whole nest. Handling something like this yourself is doable but could be dealt with by a professional much quicker than any diy solutions you may have found on the internet. When you call a professional in, you aren’t just getting someone to take care of your pest control, you are also hiring someone with the knowledge and experience to know how best to take care of your situation.
When you see a single mouse in your home, or just a few droppings, it’s an easy thing to think that the problem isn’t a big deal, and it might not be at the moment. Just keep in mind that these critter’s goal is to stay hidden and continue to expand their population. To protect your property and keep them from becoming a real problem, which can get out of hand quickly, you need to be extremely proactive in your diy solutions or call a professional to take care of your pest control and get the problem solved much quicker. If you choose the latter, and you are in our service area, feel free to give Green Pest Management a call for a free quote, and we’ll get you on your way back to living pest free. So, when you ask yourself the question: when do I need to start worrying about my rodent problem and what can I do about it—pay attention to the information previously mentioned and follow the guidelines of what you can do, and you’ll come out on top.
Sources:
- Mice reproduce year round
Where is most common to find rodent droppings https://www.spauldingdecon.com/blog/know-your-enemy-how-to-identify-rodent-droppings#:~:text=Common%20places%20to%20find%20rodent,by%20their%20color%20and%20condition.
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