When thinking about which pests in Akron, Ohio are the most common, many people would guess spiders, ants, or flies. While these pests are frequent, one of the most prevalent pest invaders in the area is much larger: the house mouse. These rodents often get into area residences, and once inside, they can cause major problems.
These mice have grown dependent on humans over the centuries, and now they need our homes in order to survive and thrive. They use us for shelter and access to food and water. Because of this, they are rather difficult to prevent and remove with help from a rodent control professional, but there are things that can be done.
What Do Mice Look Like?
These mice are relatively small compared to some other rodents. They are only about four to six inches long including their tails. Their fur is a brown-grey color, and they have cream-colored underbellies. Their ears and eyes are larger in proportion to their bodies, and they have triangular-shaped faces.
The Many Issues House Mice Cause
While these mice might look rather cute and fluffy, they aren’t so adorable once you realize all of the problems they can cause. They can chew through many different materials as they need to gnaw continuously to keep their teeth from getting too large. This can lead to property damage, including the destruction of electrical wires, furniture, plumbing, and drywall.
However, the really troubling thing about house mice is that they also pose significant health risks to people, including:
- Being able to spread many different illnesses, including salmonellosis
- Frequently carrying parasites such as ticks and fleas which can spread more illnesses, including Lyme disease and the bubonic plague
- Urine, feces, and fur can lead to respiratory problems such as allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and more
With so many health-related issues as well as property damage resulting from a mouse infestation, this is one pest it is important to keep out of your Akron home.
Six Mouse Prevention Steps
While mice are challenging to keep out of your home, there are still some things you can do to make infestations less likely. These mainly involve taking steps to reduce factors that attract mice in the first place.
Here are six effective mouse prevention measures you should implement:
- Seal up holes and cracks in the walls and foundations. Use products like steel wool and wire mesh that these rodents can’t chew through.
- Make sure to practice good trash storage practices by placing lids on all garbage cans and taking out the trash often.
- Reduce humidity around the house by using dehumidifiers and fixing leaky plumbing.
- Always clean up food and drink spills as soon as they happen.
- Regularly do dishes, sweep and mop floors, and deep clean kitchens.
- Get residential pest help to ensure rodents stay away for good.
Can You Remove Mice On Your Home?
Once mice get inside of a home, they are nearly impossible to remove using DIY methods. While traps and baits can remove some individuals, they won’t remove the entire infestation, so it will just keep coming back.
Don’t waste your time and money. Let the experts at Epcon Lane help instead. We provide assistance with professional home pest control that will eradicate any current mouse infestations and prevent them in the future. Give us a call today to learn more about our residential and commercial rodent treatment plans or to request an inspection.