Last month we talked about the uncommon places that mice could be hiding in your Pittsburgh home. And whether you found live mice, their droppings, or their nests in any of these locations or not, it is still important to know exactly why mice are a dangerous pest and what you can do as a homeowner to help control a mouse infestation in your home or business. And here to shed some light is the Pittsburgh pest control team at Witt Pest Management.
Sure, mice may look very similar to your furry pet hamster but trust us, you should think twice about letting them live with you or in your commercial facility. Mice are in fact very dangerous pests for many reasons including:
Contamination. Mice carry many pathogens and bacteria, which can contaminate your food and food prep areas including counter tops. Through contact, urine and their droppings, mice can create a lot of sanitation issues and cause food and product contamination.
Illness. A direct result of the contamination is often illness. Bacteria and pathogens can land on food, surface areas; even some are airborne from mice urine. Perhaps most notable is Hantavirus, a potentially fatal respiratory disease spread by mice. The more time mice are spending in the home or business, the more health risks they pose to you, your family or in a commercial environment, your employees and patrons.
Fire hazard. Mice, like many other rodents, have a constant need to gnaw to keep their teeth filed down. And if they choose to chew on electrical wires it could lead to a house fire.
Damages. Even if mice decide to leave the property’s electrical system in tact, they could very well end up chewing building materials, insulation and even your own personal belongings. This could be very costly to repair and valuables can be ruined. And in commercial facilities, mice may cause serious harm to building equipment and adversely affect operations.
So, clearly mice are not critters you want to have in or near your structure, especially given that they are prolific breeders and will grow in numbers quite rapidly. Of course there are some things that you can do as a property owner or manager to help prevent mice infestations in Pittsburgh. Things like making sure that all possible points of entry on the outside of the home or building are sealed off to eliminate shelter for mice. Eliminating food and water sources is also a good rodent prevention tip. Repairing any leaky pipes or appliances, implementing proper food storage practices, emptying the trash often, cleaning up crumbs and spills will help you accomplish this.
Perhaps the best defense in mouse control is to sign up for a year round home pest control in Pittsburgh. Witt’s commercial pest control services are also ideal for businesses concerned about mice, rats and other pests that are common to commercial facilities throughout Greater Pittsburgh. To learn more about mouse control in Pittsburgh, please contact Witt Pest Management today.