How did Mice get into my house?

May 17, 2017

How did Mice get into my house!?

#whatbugsme Knoxville Pest Control

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As the temperature drops and our activities migrate inside, pests can migrate with us as we run from the cold. This especially applies to rats and mice who steal our beloved heat and our food. Rodents in the home are also a health concern through the urine and feces. Rats and mice do not stop to urinate or defecate like most animals do, they leak out as they travel through your home. This happens as they walk on your kitchen counters, explore through the cabinets, and chew a hole in the dog food bag loking for something to eat. Besides the gross factor, these carry pathogens that can be harmful to your your family. Hantavirus, Plague,Leptospirosis, just to name a few. You can find all the ugly details at the CDC. This can cause contamination when they find that pack of crackers you twisted the packaging on to save for later. They love that. The feces dry and become air-born. That’s not something I want to breath in.

Rodent Solution

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So now that you are grossed out and scared, what can you do to prevent this catastrophe? The most important thing is to seal entry points. A rat can squeeze through a hole as small as a quarter and a mouse can sneak through a hole as small as 1/4″! This is because they are mostly fluff. As long as they can get their skull through, they can weasel the rest through to your kitchen and your apple pie. These entry holes commonly are around plumbing and doors. If the hole is too small but they can smell food through it they just chew the hole bigger. Their teeth grow at an alarming rate of 1mm or more depending on how fast they wear them down. These front teeth used for gnawing holes is harder than iron, platinum and copper. On the Mohs hardness scale the incisors measure at a 5.5. A diamond measures at a 10. So even though they can chew through whatever you used to seal the hole, if they can’t smell food through it most of the time they leave it alone.

Mice and Rats have to eat too

It should be common sense but I will cover it anyway, do not leave food out. And remember, just because you closed it with a twist tie or a chip-clip doesn’t mean they cant get in. Because rodents teeth grow very quickly and they need to gnaw them down. This means that plastic bag or cardboard box is no match for Mickey’s teeth. Phoenix Pest Control has 25 years of experience helping homeowners identify all the enabling factors attracting pests to your home, including finding and sealing these holes. We do not just treat your home, we help you prevent it from happening again. Give us a call today, all you have to lose is the pests!