Mice: Dangerous Health Hazards For Humans
19th Feb 2016
House mice are considered the most common mammal in the U.S., according to the National Pest Management Association. Rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes each winter, affecting 29 percent of Americans. The Midwest has the lowest number of reported rodent problems.
Outdoor mice breed in the spring and fall, but they can reproduce at any time when indoors. Females can give birth when they are only two months old, and they can have a dozen babies every three weeks. That’s as many as 150 offspring in one year for just one mouse!
Why Mice Are Health Hazards
Mice are dangerous to your health. They spread bacteria and viruses through their droppings, urine and saliva. They carry as many as 200 human pathogens, including Hantavirus and Salmonella. Each mouse produces between 40 and 100 droppings per day. Mice constantly give off micro-droplets of urine, contaminating your house as they scurry through it. People can even pick up diseases by breathing in rodent-contaminated dust. Mice also bring fleas, mites, ticks and lice into your house.
Where Mice Hide In Homes
Kitchens are the most common place to find mice. About 50 percent of people with mouse infestations found rodents there. Open food in your pantry isn’t safe from mice, even if it’s stored on a high shelf. They are good jumpers, climbers and swimmers. Store food in hard, plastic containers with airtight lids to keep these pests out. Other common places to find rodents include basements, garages, attics and storage sheds.
Contact us at (920) 582-9000 if you see any of these disease-carrying pests or their droppings in your home. If you see one mouse, you’ll soon see many more. Also check out our previous blog about ways to keep mice out of your home.