CALL 
August 23, 2021
As you a child do you remember watching Cinderella and thinking how great it would be to have a bunch of mice as cute as Jaq and Gus running around your home? The reality of a mouse infestation is, unfortunately, nothing like the movies and could actually be a source of danger to your family and your home.
When are mice a problem in Maine?
Point of fact- mice are a year-round pest pressure in Auburn, Portland, and communities throughout the Pine Tree State. That said, home and camp owners may notice a wicked increase during the fall months. While we’re all hurrying to Dunkin to grab our pumpkin spice coffees, these rodents are trying to squeeze their way through any opening on our homes’ exteriors they can find in order to escape the cold weather that will inevitably arrive.
Will mice vacate the premises once the weather warms up?
They might. They might also stick around because the home they’ve infested provides everything they need in order to survive and thrive. Close proximity to food and water plus shelter from the elements and predators – what more could a mouse family ask for?
Do mice reproduce inside houses?
Speaking of family, mice breed year-round. Just like the USPS, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stop these prolific rodents from reproducing. Should they make their way into your home, you can bet they’ll turn your attic or closet, or some other hidden spot into a nursery.
As for how quickly mice produce and the population multiplies- well let’s just say fast. In fact, one mouse can have multiple babies in one litter AND she can have multiple litters each year. If you do the mouse math, a single mouse could have approximately 35 babies in a single year! One mouse. Need we remind you that where there’s one mouse, there’s several.
Health risks associated with mice
As to the dangers associated with mice, let’s first look at how they can adversely affect the health and welfare of people.
Mouse allergens
Mouse droppings, saliva, urine, and dander are allergens that can cause symptoms very similar to seasonal allergies. What’s more, these allergens may trigger asthma flare-ups and/or asthma attacks.
Diseases transmitted by rodents
The presence of mice can lead to the transmission of disease, some by food contaminated with mouse droppings and urine and others by airborne bacteria and dust particles from infected mice. Direct contact with rodents or their feces and urine can also result in illness. Known diseases include, but are not limited to:
- Salmonellosis (i.e., food poisoning)
- Leptospirosis (fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea)
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (a severe respiratory disease in humans that is sometimes fatal)
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (a viral infection that produces symptoms such as fever, malaise, lack of appetite, muscle aches, headache, nausea, and vomiting)
How to tell if mice are already inside your home
It goes without saying but if you put eyes on mice inside your home – mice are inside your home. Mouse poop is another clear indication of an infestation. Unfortunately, it’s not always that obvious. Mice are pretty good at avoiding detection so you may need to impersonate Sherlock Holmes and go on a hunt for clues if you think you may have a mouse problem. Other signs of a mouse infestation include:
Noises at night
Mice are most active between dusk and dawn (although they are sometimes seen during the day) and this can be evidenced by the noises they may make as they scurrying through walls and in ceilings. If you hear scratching or other movement at night, there’s a good chance mice or other types of rodent species have infiltrated your house.
Chew marks
Did you know mice have front incisors that never stop growing? In order to keep these teeth at a length that is manageable, they must constantly chew. What they chew on is vast and varied but includes items made form wood, plastic, rubber, and other materials that might surprise you. It’s very common, in a house infested by mice, to find cardboard boxes, clothing, and Christmas ornaments as well as other household belongings stored away chewed through and on. What’s more, mice will chew on electrical wires exposing a house to potential fire hazards.
Nests
Mice will use just about anything they can gather to make their nests. Attic insulation, clothing, paper, and furniture stuffing are just a few of the materials they commandeer to make their nests. Unlike a bird’s nest which is quite neat in appearance, a mouse nest may resemble a loose pile of whatnots formed into a ball-like structure. Some may have a hole that these creatures use to enter and exit.
What to do if you already have a mouse infestation and what you can do to prevent mouse activity
Whether you’re sitting on your kitchen counter because you just saw a mouse scurry along the edge of the room, you’ve noticed droppings in the pantry, or you want to proactively fight mice, the answer is simple- reach out to Pine State Pest Solutions today! We offer one-time rodent control services but for the best protection against mice, we highly recommend signing up for an ongoing home pest control plan.
Starting as low as $35/month, our locally owned and operated Maine pest control company provides coverage for the common house mouse and the deer mouse as well as Norway rats and 50+ common house-infesting insects.
Home Protection Plan
Starting as low as $35/month*
Pine State’s Home Protection is an affordable pest control plan that is ideal for homeowners who want general pest control services that target common house-infesting insects and rodents.
When you sign up for this ongoing service, you’ll receive an initial service visit to treat the existing pest problem and then seasonal service visits spread out over the year to ensure pests stay out. That’s a total of four services annually.
Pests covered under Pine State’s Home Protection plan include carpenter ants, cornfield ants, crazy ants, field ants, little black ants, pavement ants, Asian lady beetles, carpet beetles, cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, flour beetles, ground beetles, hide beetles, larder beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles, warehouse beetles, boxelder bugs, carpenter bees, centipedes, clover mites, American cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, wood cockroaches, field crickets, house crickets, European earwigs, firebrats, bald-faced hornets, European hornets, deer mice, house mice, millipedes, Angoumois grain moths, drain moths, Indian meal moths, Mediterranean flour moths, mud daubers, Norway rats, paper wasps, pill bugs, rice weevils, silverfish, sow bugs, springtails, cellar spiders, daddy longlegs spiders, house spiders, jumping spiders, sac spiders, wolf spiders, Western conifer seed bugs, and yellow jackets.
*Some exclusions apply- please see your agreement
Subscribe