Wintertime is here again. It’s this time of year that we see the most calls about rats, mice and other rodents. As with any past, we get a multitude of different kinds of calls. I have calls with people who see mice in their kitchens, sometimes droppings are seeing in garage is our pantries, but often I will hear of wiring being chewed on. This is a common issue with mice and other rodents. So why do mice chew on wires? The front teeth of mice continue to grow throughout their life. Chewing on things keeps them from growing too long.
Mice use their teeth for many different things. Is important for them to keep their teeth sharp and ready for use. They will of course eat with these teeth, but they will also cut holes in things to travel through, and defend themselves with these teeth. Because rodent teeth are so important, it is important to maintain them on a regular basis.
TEETH GROWTH
Mice are considered a chewing rodent. They must continually chew on things to maintain their dental health. The two large front teeth are called incisors. These two front teeth have enamel on the front and a soft dentine on the back. This makes it so that as the rodent chews on things, the softer material in the back of the teeth wears away. This leaves the front part, protected by enamel, angled to a sharp point.
If a mouse can’t find anything to chew on, it will have severe problems. Chewing on things trims the teeth down. As these teeth continue to grow throughout the mouse’s lifecycle, some form of trimming process must occur. If the mouse can’t find anything to chew on, the teeth will continue to grow causing problems. Overgrown teeth can make it so that the mouse can no longer eat. Some might have actually died of malnutrition because this problem.
HOME WIRING
Rodents don’t seek out wiring in your home. They will travel often through walls and a little nest and live in places that we can’t see. It’s in these walls that they will find whatever they can to chew on. As their teeth grow they’ll find anything including cement, drywall, wood, paper, cardboard and even wiring. Wiring is easier for rodents to chew on because they can be handled. Contact your Tulsa exterminator for more information.
Wires can be held by rodents with their front paws and moved in most any position. They have a soft outer rubber and a hard metal core. This gives mice the ability to maneuver the wire in any direction that’s needed to trim their teeth. Once a mouse is found that the wire works good for trimming their teeth, they will seek out this wire often. And if the wire no longer works, they’ll find another one. This can lead to short circuiting in your home and possible fire risk. That’s why it’s important to remove any rodents from your home.
MICE IN YOUR CAR
Mice don’t only attack the wiring in your home. Your car can be susceptible as well. In an effort to be more eco-friendly, car manufacturers have found new materials to use in building their cars. One of these materials are the insulation found on the wiring in your car. Manufacturers have begun to use soy and peanut-based materials as insulators on wiring. Mice, rats, squirrels and other rodents find these insulators very tasty.
Wiring is not the only part of your car that is susceptible to rodent damage. Air boxes and vents are great places for mice and other rodents to build nests. Heater fans and their blades can be blocked by food or other nesting materials. Mice find carpeting and automobiles to be a good place to gnaw and chew on. Rat feces and urine can also be found in automobiles, transmitting diseases and bad odors.
LIFECYCLE
Mice are mammalian rodents that find themselves on the low end of the food chain. Because of this, they have adapted to have an enormous reproductive potential. This allows them to continue to survive even though they have a great host of predators. The average field mouse has a meeting cycle sometime in the summer, but the house mouse can reproduce year-round. The average female in optimum conditions can have as many as 14 litters of 12 babies a year. Your Oklahoma pest control company can give you a free quote.
The young are born alive, and will stay in the nest for the first 21 days. After that, young females will stay close to the mothers nest, while young males a stray further define their own mates. In the wild mice, usually live between 12 and 18 months. But in captivity, mice have been known to live between four to five years. This, of course, is because of predation disease and other factors of life in the wild.
HOME PREVENTION TIPS
Like many pests, there are many preventative measures that homeowners can use to protect their homes against an infestation. Mice, like all pests, require food, water and a place to nest and live. Mice are unique in the fact that they can usually get enough water from the moisture in their food. This means that preventing mice from finding food in your home is the highest priority. Making sure that foods in your pantry are in sealable plastic tubs can stop mice from getting the food they need.
Keeping clean kitchens and washed dishes can also help. Leaving a pan with grease in it can invite mice to a feast that you don’t want them to have. Giving them a place to stay is another issue. Clutter in a messy home can give them places to hide and build nests. Call a trustworthy Tulsa pest control company for more help.
ELIMINATING MICE FOR GOOD
Once mice find a place to stay in your home, they can be very difficult to remove. Large infestations require the help of a professional. It’s important that if you find yourself in this situation to call your Oklahoma exterminator for help. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we can help you with a free estimate. We service the greater Tulsa area including Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Pratville, Berryhill, Sapulpa, Coweta, Sand Springs, Claremore, Catoosa, Jenks and more. Call us today! We’re here to help!