How To Get Rid of Mice In Your San Tan Valley Home

They may seem adorable in cartoons, but the common house mouse is anything but. Mice carry disease, can destroy property, and are an overall nuisance to homes in the San Tan Valley. So, what do you do when you find mice in your home?

The Common House Mouse's Dependency On Humans

The "house mouse" is common throughout the United States. They are small, brown, and have rounded ears. Mice typically nest in dark, secluded areas such as house walls, storage areas, basements, or attics. 

Mice climb very well and can even jump up to one foot in height. They often invade homes because they can smell the foods you eat. Mice also seek out shelter from harsh weather conditions.

While mice can also live in the wild, they often depend on humans for easy access to food and shelter. Able to fit through holes the size of a dime, mice find homes in the San Tan Valley area are easily accessed in several ways.

The Dangers Of A House Mouse

Mice can cause serious property damages by chewing through things like drywall and insulation. They can also gnaw on wires in a home, which can cause an electrical fire via sparking.

Additionally, mice carry diseases. Diseases such as leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), tularemia, and salmonellosis are spread by house mice. Mice also carry parasites on them, spread through their travels through your home on their fur, hands, feet, and fecal matter.

Mice can offer fleas and ticks "a ride" into your home, meaning the diseases they carry, as well, such as Lyme disease. This means more pests can infest your San Tan Valley home because a basic house mouse brought them inside. 

It's Never One Little Mouse

If you have seen a mouse, or more likely the evidence of mice, such as chewed items or feces, do not assume it is just the work of one pest. Where there is one, there are generally many.

The common house mouse tends to live in a group with other mice. Mice also breed quickly, often having six to eight babies per litter. They can have a litter up to ten times per year.

Bottom line: where you see evidence of a single mouse, it is safe to assume many mice live in your residential or commercial property.

How To Prevent Mice From Entering Your San Tan Valley Home

The best course of action is to prevent mice from entering your home in the first place. To do so put these methods into place:

• Seal access points: Though mice can fit through the hole the size of a dime, it is best to try to seal all holes that can provide an access point for mice in the first place. Check the exterior of your home using a rodent-proof material.

• Check doors, windows, and ventilation points: Check these entry areas. Caulking can often offer a layer of protection when needed. Mice cannot chew through steel wool. Consider stuffing the material in smaller holes. Bricks can also make another mouse-proof material. They are too heavy to be moved by mice, and they cannot chew through them either.

• Eliminate outdoor areas that attract: Be sure to rid your property of leaf piles and keep woodpiles far from the home's exterior. Trim back trees that hang too closely, allowing mice to jump onto your roof.

• Clean up your yard: Do not keep trash piles, clutter, or debris on the property. Keep grass trimmed, and plant all shrubs at least three feet from the home.

• Remove outdoor food sources: While it may benefit the humans in the home, spaces like gardens and fruit trees on the property are also easily accessed food sources for a house mouse. By keeping trees well-pruned, and gardens rodent-proofed, you may be able to maintain them safely, but take caution.

• Invest in a furry friend: Local animal shelters may be a spot for you to visit if you seek to prevent mice from nesting in your home. Cats are a low-cost (and adorable) way to keep mice from the property. Many cats are comfortable inside and out, keeping much of your property free of pests such as mice.

• Keep food safely sealed: All food stored in your home should be kept in tightly sealed containers. Consider thick plastic, or even metal, canisters that mice cannot chew through instead of cardboard, which is easily destroyed by mice. Even trash containers, especially those containing food and nesting materials, should have a tight-sealing lid to prevent access from such pests. 

You can do everything possible to avoid a mouse problem and still find signs of them in your San Tan Valley home. In the end, it's best to partner with a professional for the best residential pest control. 

Ozone Pest Control Can Help You With Your Rodent Problem

There is a straightforward solution to rid your San Tan Valley home of mice: reach out to the experts at Ozone Pest Control. Our professional team will survey your home, inside and outside, to rid the entire property of mice. You won't see a house mouse again with its periodic follow-up services, designed to fit your schedule and budget. 

Call Ozone Pest Control today and say goodbye for good to any mouse in your house for good.