Upon first glance at these adorable little creatures, you may consider field mice to be relatively harmless, if not somewhat of a nuisance should they invade your Elk Grove home. It's easy to underestimate field mice, though. Despite their cute faces and minuscule size, these moderately invasive pests are more than a little dangerous to have to reside in your home.
Crash Course In Field Mice: Appearance And Preferred Habitations
Rodents within the mice family tend to be fairly similar in appearance. Field mice are usually light gray to tawny brown in color, with white underbellies and pale feet. They have short tails, roughly the same length as their body, and coated in fine hairs of their own. With wide, dark eyes and prominent ears, completely matured field mice can grow up to 5 to 8 inches in length from nose to tail.
Field mice prefer to live outside. They have a bounty of options to choose from in the way of suitable nesting locations:
- Dead logs and tree stumps
- Ground burrows
- Farmlands with tall crops
- Fields with tall grass
- Dense brush
- Overgrown vegetation
While their preference is outdoors, they may seek more stable living conditions if their homes are disturbed. This often happens during yard pruning, lawn mowing, and harvesting season. When their current nesting situations become compromised, they're likely to discover that attics, basements, garages, barns, and sheds make much more secure homes.
The Dangers Of Field Mice Tenants In Your Elk Grove Home
If you've ever struggled with a rodent infestation before, you might have noticed how destructive these critters can be. That's because of their incisors. While, yes, field mice will chew through anything to create comfortable living arrangements, they also have to keep their teeth filed down. That means anything and everything within your household is at risk of destruction; pipes, electrical wires, support beams, door frames, cupboard walls, and doors, absolutely nothing is safe from their teeth.
Structural integrity aside, rodents also carry harmful diseases and bacteria. Field mice are carriers of the hantavirus, which they transmit through urine, feces, and saliva. A simple scamper across the counter could send you and your loved ones to the hospital for very serious respiratory problems. A field mice kitchen invasion would likely contaminate every surface, utensil, cookware, and food store within your cupboards.
How To Prevent A Field Mice Infestation In Your Elk Grove Home
Even though these critters are capable of chewing through pretty much anything, there are still ways that you can protect your home, or at least make it more difficult for them to get inside:
- Seal any gaps between outdoor-leading pipes and wires
- Repair cracks and holes in the foundation
- Cover any exposed wood paneling on the exterior of your home
- Repair holes and gaps in your roof and roofline; field mice are excellent climbers
- If you have a chimney, make sure it has a tight-fitting cap
- Make sure outdoor trash cans have secure lids
- Remove brush and compost piles from the exterior of your home
- Trim any low hanging branches, extended shrub limbs, and gardens away from the siding of your home
Struggling With A Field Mice Infestation?
No matter how cute they are, field mice are dangerous pests that need to be removed. If you discover signs of a rodent infestation, field mice, or otherwise, it may be time to call your local pest control company. At Pro Active Pest Control, we understand the importance of quality, affordable pest control. We provide Elk Grove residents with safe, eco-friendly pest control procedures and pesticides, and we always offer our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you're still suffering from an ongoing pest problem after we've treated your home, we come right back out and treat your home again until the problem has been resolved. Don't let rodents drive you up a wall. Contact us today to start discussing your rodent control options.