Interesting Facts About Mice In The Bay Area

Mice are incredible animals. Do you know that a mouse can squeeze through a gap the width of a dime? It's quite a thing to watch. That fat little body can squeeze through any gap the mouse can fit its head through. This is one of the reasons mice are so difficult to keep out, and why you're likely to have a difficult time if you hope to get rid of mice.

Today, we're going to share some interesting facts about mice that every Bay Area resident should know, such as the answer to the question: "How do mice get into homes?" Hang with us to the end to learn the fastest way to get rid of mice in your home.

How Big Can Mice Get In The Bay Area?

A mouse can be as much as 3¾ inches long. If it has had a lot to eat, it can be pretty stout but keep in mind that a fat mouse can still fit through an impressively small hole. Never underestimate a mouse's ability to exploit a gap or crack in your exterior.

Sometimes rats are mistaken for mice, though they shouldn't be. Rats look very different. They have rounded snouts and thick tails. Rats and mice are also different sizes. A small rat is more than six inches long. That's twice the size of a big mouse. If you're wondering if you have rats or mice in your Bay area home, you can often tell by the size, even if you only get a glimpse of a rodent.

Can The Mice In The Bay Area Climb Onto Tables?

Mice have an impressive ability to climb, but they're not able to climb onto most tables because the legs are too smooth. They can, however, leap from a counter onto a table. The horizontal leap of a mouse is surprising. When considering a mouse's ability to climb, it is important to think about the exterior of your home.

If you hope to keep mice out of the house, you need to know a few ways mice can climb your exterior to get inside through roof vulnerabilities, such as:

• Mice can scale trees, run down branches, and jump onto your roof, just like a squirrel.
• Mice can climb up through downspouts in your gutter system.
• Mice can use pipes on the exterior of structures to shimmy up.
• Mice can scale utility poles and run across power lines.
• Mice can climb up the sides of rough-textured exteriors such as brick homes as fast as Spiderman.

Do House Mice In The Bay Area Have Hantavirus?

There are many diseases mice carry, but not every mouse has a disease. Unfortunately, most urban mice are carrying something because their behaviors bring them into contact with dirty things. Hantavirus is one of the diseases mice carry but not all mouse species are as prone to carry this disease. Deer mice, as an example, are more likely to carry Hantavirus than house mice. This is good news as deer mice more commonly infest barns, sheds, and outbuildings, not houses.

How Do Mice Get Into Homes?

It is hard to keep mice out of houses because there are so many ways they get in. In fact, it would take pages to tell you about all of the ways. For brevity, here are just a few of the most common examples to help you figure out your specific situation:

• Mice can chew through weatherstripping. If you have a little hole in your weatherstripping, you probably have a little mouse in your home.
• Mice squeeze through very small gaps around pipes or through gaps in wood.
• In some cases, windows can have gaps around the frames that are large enough to allow a mouse to get into the wall voids.
• Mice can chew through screens and then chew through window or door frames.
• Mice can scale a home and get in through vents or louvers.
• Mice climb up and get in through roofline troughs, soffits, or the seals around foundation penetrations.
• Mice have been known to go right down chimneys.

What Is The Most Humane Way To Get Rid Of Mice?

There is no better way to remove mice than to trap them. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to trap a mouse. While mice are curious animals and will check out a trap, they have a few abilities that keep them from getting caught in traps. They move quickly. They eat lightly. They may smell you on the traps. And there are usually way more mice than a few traps can deal with. Mice are smart, and sometimes become trap shy when they detect danger.

If you're looking for the fastest way to get rid of mice in the Bay Area, reach out to Bay Pest Solution Inc, for rodent control. We use tested methods and we get results.