Call The Professionals About Mice In Your Home 

What Mice Look Like

Deer mice are common pests that infest barns, sheds, and outbuildings. They don't prefer to get into homes because they like natural habitats. If you see a tawny-colored mouse with a white belly inside your home, you can take some comfort. Natural mouse management methods could easily drive those mice out. Check our other blog posts to learn about natural mouse management methods, such as…

While deer mice are easy to manage, keep in mind that they are more apt to spread Hantavirus than other pest mice species. Hantavirus can cause respiratory sickness with life-threatening symptoms. Always use a mask and gloves when cleaning up mouse nests, particularly if they are deer mouse nests.

What if you see a house mouse in your home? How worried should you be? The most important fact you should know is that house mice don't like to be seen. When you see them in your home, it is a warning sign of a large infestation. The mice in your home have likely grown a larger population than available food resources. When this happens, each mouse has to take greater risks to find food, such as being active during the day. So, seeing a dusty gray mouse in your home is a bad sign. That is a house mouse. 

What if you don't see mice? Can you tell whether or not you have mice in your home? Yes. While not common, you may hear mice noises inside your walls. These sounds occur when mice come down from your attic at dusk. But don't expect to hear mice climbing up and down inside your walls. They don't do it often. Most of the time, mice stay hidden. You'll have to look for other warning signs.

• Inspect dark voids and tight spaces for mouse droppings. When you find mouse droppings, clean them up so that you can check back later and see if more appear. You may also use a pencil to squish the droppings to see if they're fresh. Old droppings will break apart and turn to dust. 
• Inspect low areas of your kitchen and pantry for tiny holes. Mice make these holes to gain access to these areas. You'll have to look closely because mouse holes are usually small. An adult mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime.
• Inspect baseboards for grease marks. When mice run along your baseboards, the grease in their fur may rub off. You might also see grease marks around the tiny holes they're using.
• Use your nose to check your attic spaces. If you smell urine, you probably have an active infestation.

These tips can help you find evidence of mice in your home, but what do you do when you find them? You need to evaluate the dangers to make the right call.

The Many Dangers Of Having Mice In Your Home

Mice aren't so bad, right? How much of a problem can a little mouse cause? You would be surprised. Here are a few things mice are known to do inside Los Angeles County homes.

• Mice chew on wires inside walls. Experts say 80-85% of fires that result from unknown sources are likely rodent-related.  
• Mice chew on building materials. Exterior holes allow moisture, mold, fungus, and secondary pests into your home.
• Mice collect material for their nests. In attic spaces, mice rip up insulation, cardboard boxes, and stored clothing.
• Mice like to nest inside furniture cushions. They'll leave feces and urine in stored furniture and rip up upholstery.
• Mice carry ticks, fleas, worms, mites, and other parasites and can spread them to every level of a home.
• Mice contaminate stored foods and climb inside cabinets and drawers.

In light of all these dangers, effective mouse control is critical. A licensed pest professional applies trusted products and field-tested methods to arrest mouse infestations. Your technician will also leverage years of experience when solving your mouse problem. The problem with DIY mouse control is that mice don't behave as you might expect. Let's take a look.

The Pros To Call For Safe And Effective Mouse Control

If you're in Los Angeles County, contact HomeShield Pest Control for rodent control. We use many all-natural rodent control methods and products to get long-lasting control of rodents. 

• Inspection. We begin by inspecting your property for rodent activity, entry points, conducive conditions, and other factors.
• Identification. We properly identify the mice, rats, or squirrels in your property. Each pest is slightly different. It is critical to get this step right.
• Exclusions. We seal entry points and apply metal flashing and other strong materials to bolster vulnerable spots. These work to keep rodents from continuing to enter your home.
• Clean-up. Rodents prefer to infest locations that show signs of a previous infestation. We offer sanitation services to clean attic spaces and deter future infestation. We also remove hazardous materials such as droppings, urine, contaminated insulation, etc.
• Monitoring. Mice can live in your home without providing any noticeable warning signs. We monitor rodent activity and make sure your home is free of rodents.

Are you in Los Angeles County? Are mice creating trouble for you in your home? Would you like to avoid having a mouse infestation? We can help in all cases. HomeShield Pest Control provides comprehensive rodent control services to arrest rodent infestations. We also offer ongoing rodent monitoring and general pest maintenance to keep rodents out of your home. Drop us a line and tell us about your rodent concerns. We'll guide you toward the best solution for your specific needs and help you get your pest control into your budget.