Why Can't I Get Rid Of Mice In My Orange County Home?

How Do Mice Get Into Homes?

If your property is cluttered and overgrown, you will have more trouble with mice. Wide-open and clear yards are scary for mice because they don't like being out in the open where predators can easily catch them. If mice are able to get up close to your foundation and exterior walls, they will look for ways to get into your home.

• Since mice are tiny, they can squeeze their way through very small holes. Did you know that a full-grown mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime? It's true! They are even better than Houdini at this sort of thing.
• Since mice have sharp teeth, they can chew on tiny openings (perhaps made by carpenter ants or some other wood-eating pest) to make them bigger so that they can squeeze through. Mice actually need to chew on things all the time to keep their ever-growing front incisor teeth worn down.
• Since mice are super intelligent—okay, maybe not super intelligent, but they're really smart; that's why they're used in laboratory experiments—even if they don't find any holes in your foundation to squeeze in through, they can find a way to get to the top of your home and find an entry point up there.

Why Is It Important To Get Rid Of Mice?

We already mentioned one reason why it is important to get rid of mice when they get into your home. They use your kitchen for a bathroom. They also use your attic, your cellar, your laundry room—they even use your bathroom for a bathroom! The point is, they spread urine and feces wherever they roam, and this can spread sickness to anyone living in your home.

Some of the diseases mice are known to carry are tularemia, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, plague, and leptospirosis. Scary stuff. But there are also other problems mice bring when they get inside Orange County homes.

• Mice chew. Not only do mice chew holes to get into your home, but they also keep on chewing once they're inside. They will chew on wooden beams, plastic, sheetrock, and treasured items stored in your attic, among other things. They will even chew on electrical wiring within walls, which can be a fire hazard.
• Mice carry parasites like lice, mites, ticks, and fleas. So, if you are "literally" scratching your head because you're wondering how you got fleas when you have no pets to bring fleas into your home, perhaps those fleas came in on the backs of mice.
• Mice make people jump up on chairs and scream in fright. Hey, this is serious stuff. Not only is this embarrassing but someone could fall off a chair and end up in the hospital. It's time to get rid of the mice in your home!

Some Mouse Prevention Tips To Consider

If you are not seeing mice in your home, there are some helpful mouse control tips you can use to try to keep them out.

• Clear clutter from your yard. If you keep your property open and don't offer mice things to hide behind or underneath, they probably won't venture near your outer walls.
• Keep your grass trimmed short. Tall grasses, weeds, and overgrown vegetation provide hiding spots for mice.
• Seal openings in your exterior foundation and outer walls. Closely examine your home and repair or fill in any openings you find. Remember that mice can squeeze through tiny holes and chew small holes larger. Seal every hole you find.
• Keep your home free of food crumbs and spills. If mice manage to get in, and they can't find any food, they may leave in search of a better place to live.