Rodents, such as mice and rats, are highly adaptable creatures that have learned to live side by side with humans. They’ve learned to piggy-back off the hard work of humans, using our homes as their own, our pantries as their food sources, and ours roofs as their shelter from predators. That’s why, unfortunately, rodent infestations are so common for homeowners.
Think you might have a rodent problem on your hands? If so, keep reading—we discuss the signs of rodents in the home as well as the dangers they pose to you, your family, and your pets.
1. Sign: Strange Sounds
Mice are small. They’re smart. And they keep well hidden. Many homeowners never see the creatures and are only alerted to a rodent problem due to strange sounds. When the house is calm and quiet, mice will think it’s safe to start moving around to forage for food, mate, or build their nests.
As they bustle with activity, you might hear strange scratching sounds in your walls. You might hear skittering across your ceiling. You might hear the sounds of their communication.
Don’t ignore these noises. They indicate a rodent problem.
2. Sign: Feces and Urine
Rodents will urinate and defecate as they move around. Pay close attention to your attic and kitchen, as well as along your walls. See any strange new stains? That might be urine. See any small, pointed droppings on your kitchen counter, on the floor, or in your cupboards?
If you see these signs of a rodent problem, you should not only decontaminate right away to reduce health risks but you should call mouse removal services immediately.
3. Danger: Property Damage
Rodents’ teeth never stop growing during their lifetime. To keep their teeth worn down, they gnaw. If there are rodents in your home, you’ll no doubt see evidence of this gnawing behaviour on hard surfaces, such as the siding on your home, pipes within your walls, ventilation ducts, rafters, electrical wires, floors, and more.
The gnawing of rodents can affect the structural integrity of your home. It can require costly repairs and renovations. It can also lead to fire and flooding risks. It’s important to eradicate the infestation to minimize the structural damage to your home.
4. Danger: Hantavirus and Other Health Concerns
Rodents are carriers of viruses, parasites, bacteria, and diseases that can put the health and safety of your family and pets at risk. Hantavirus is a particularly serious health risk posed by deer mice, cotton and rice rats, and white-footed mice. This virus is contracted by breathing in contaminated air, eating food contaminated by droppings, saliva, or urine from infected rodents, or being bitten. This virus can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a severe and potentially fatal respiratory disease.
On top of hantavirus, rodents can spread lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, leptospirosis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Omsk hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, and more.
For your health and that of your family, it’s imperative to pursue rodent control services immediately when you have a rodent problem.
5. Danger: Multiplication
Two mice will quickly become 10. Ten mice will quickly become 100. And so on and so on. Rodents are prolific breeders. Female mice can have up to six litters a year, with up to 10 babies per litter. In little time, you could have hundreds of rodents living in your walls, attic, and floorboards.
If you ignore the signs of a rodent infestation in your home, your problem will quickly spiral out of control. The more rodents that are living in your home, the costlier and more significant the damage will be and the more serious the health risks will become. You need to tackle the problem immediately before it becomes a widespread infestation that’s even more difficult to manage.
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