Identifying & Removing Mice

There are usually a variety of ways to tell if mice have made their way inside your home. Once they’re inside, it’s only a matter of time before they start causing all kinds of property damage, and as they begin to multiply, present a number of frightening health risks. In recent years, mouse populations in our area have flourished in various parts of Texas, such as Dallas and Fort Worth.

As they try to seek out spaces for nests that aren’t likely to be disturbed by humans, mice will often traverse dusty attics and seldom-used basements, meaning that if a mouse were to scamper across a particularly dusty patch of floor, they’ll likely leave behind their telltale footprints.

Mice have a unique bone structure, making their tracks fairly easily recognizable, as long as you have an idea of what you’re looking for. They have a four-toed front paw and a five-toed back paw, which you’ll often see in conjunction with myriad tail-prints. That said, your local mouse removal professional will be able to tell at a glance what species and how many mice you may be up against.

Likewise, the sudden abundance of holes in various surfaces like furniture and walls are a clear indication of the presence of mice. Their ever-growing teeth need to be constantly used, much like a beaver’s, so they don’t do any undue harm to themselves. That said, mice can chew through almost any surface and, given enough time, they tend to do just that. Unchecked mouse populations can present serious economic repercussions, as the damage that they do during the course of the infestation will doubtless need to be repaired.

Moreover, mice have been known to present serious fire hazards, as electrical wires rank among the items most frequently defaced. Apart from furniture, wiring, and walls, teeth and nail markings might also appear along baseboards or wooden paneling close to the floor, as well as the edges of frequently travel routes. Mice will often gnaw through boxes, both wooden and cardboard, as untended boxes tend to provide easy access to hiding and nesting places.

On that note, it’s very common to find that mice have been hard at working boring holes into insulation in between walls and in attics. These holes or tunnels may be indications of possible nesting areas, and are often characterized by a lack of dust and/or cobwebs, albeit with an abundance of droppings in the near vicinity.

The characteristic scent that’s produced by a mouse’s urine is the factor that finally convinces homeowners to call in their pest control professionals, although by the time the odor becomes offensive, the mouse population in the area in question has been able to propagate unchecked for quite some time.

If mice or other pests have made an unsightly appearance in your home or business, call Cantu Pest & Termite and schedule a rodent control appointment today with one of our friendly, experienced home pest control experts.