In most peoples homes, you can find storage areas that convenient such as an attic. These places make a convenient place to store Christmas decorations, old clothes or any other items that maybe you want to keep but don’t have need of at the moment. They also are great places to house mice. Mice are very common pests here in Oklahoma and most other places in the world. In order to control these pests, it’s important that we understand them. In this article let’s explore the mouse, its lifecycle and habitat and how we can deal with them.
DEFINING MICE
Mice are rodents. These are small furry mammals that live in the shadow of humanity. They are found around the world on every continent except Antarctica. The reason they are so often with us is because they have stowed away on ships and then transported around the world. They love to feed up on our food and live in our homes. This somewhat symbiotic relationship has given them the opportunity to thrive.
Mice find themselves at the bottom of the food chain. Almost every other predator in the animal kingdom can make a meal out of a mouse. In order to protect them selves from this they’ve developed a few things that can keep them and their species going. The first is their ability to reproduce. They are very good at reproducing extremely quickly. Females can get pregnant and have a litter in a little less than a month. Litters are usually between 10 and 12 babies and the female can get pregnant immediately after she has given birth. The average female, in an ideal situation, can produce 100 to 150 offspring in a year. Your reputable Broken Arrow pest control company can get you more information.
SPEEDY GONZALAS
Mice are very smart and very fast. They can run quickly for their size as anyone could tell you that has seen one in their home. They use their senses to navigate the space that they find themselves in. Mice actually have very bad vision but excel in their sense of feeling and sense of smell. When they run across the room, in most cases they will run next to the wall. This is because they can feel the wall with their whiskers and navigate accordingly. They could smell food through plastic wrappers and have no fear of the smell of humans. Often they will find a way in our pantries, chew through a plastic bag and then feed upon the food contents with it.
Mice have two very large front teeth. These front teeth never cease to grow. Because of this it’s important that they chew on something constantly to keep these teeth trimmed. They are also unique in the fact that these teeth have enamel on the front but not on the rear of them. This means that when they chew on things and wear away at the bone material of their teeth, the backside wear more than the front giving a sharpened wedge-shaped to their teeth. By doing this they keep their teeth sharp and at the right length by continuing to chew. Because of this it often mice with you through holes in walls and in trim pieces.
MICE IN YOUR HOME
Often mice find our way into a building through the garage. Their natural habits is usually in the field, but as housing is being built more and more and these fields are finding themselves less and less, more mice have become displaced. So the large front door of the garage is usually an easy place for a mouse to squeeze through. Mice can get through a hole the size of a dime by collapsing the rib cage and squeezing through the place. Once they get inside the garage, often they’ll go into the small room with the water heater. Often there’s exhaust port the top of the room for the water heater and these mice will find their way into the attic space.
Once in the attic they can use the insulation to build their nest and stay warm in the winter. The only thing other that they will need is some food. They will usually find the way down the inside of the walls and chew through the bottom of the wall and make their way into the house. Here they’ll find their way into the kitchen and pantry areas chewing through any plastic bags and getting to food that they can. A quality Tulsa pest control company can help you get rid of these disgusting rodents for good.
SIGNS OF MICE
If you’re finding droppings of mice or or food being chewed into in your pantry area, then it’s time to start thinking about what you need to do about mice. A good start is by taking your food items and putting them in hard plastic containers such as Tupperware. This protects the food from the small rodents. While they can chew through a plastic bag, heavy plastic is a little tougher. Closing off entry and exit points can help but here in Oklahoma we have very many cracks and crevices in our buildings. The ground moves often and there are vents left in brick and other places that allow these animals access to our home. A good Broken Arrow exterminator can help you with this.
In most cases, poison is the best option for dealing with mice. Because poisons are dangerous especially to pets and other animals, it’s important that you have a professional Tulsa exterminator help you to deal with these pests. Here at TermMax Pest Control we’re the best in the business when it comes to dealing with mice and other rodents and pests. We service the greater Tulsa area including Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Owasso, Jenks, Prattville, Sapulpa, Turley and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!