You may be terrified at seeing a mouse scurry across the floor or you may think they are the cutest little creatures. No matter how you feel about them, it doesn’t change the fact that they can be dangerous to your health and cause some serious damage to your home.

Mice can contaminate your kitchen and pantry by leaving its feces and urine in and around your food. They can gnaw and tear apart packaging, leaving it open to contamination. This can lead to diseases, like Salmonella. Salmonella is the most common disease that can be transferred by all rodents including ordinary house mice. Other diseases from mice are caused by the parasites they bring into your home like ticks and fleas.

Mice are also known to cause serious structural damage. They can chew on drywall and insulation, walls and floors, as well as window and door frames. The most dangerous chewing is through electrical wires, pipes, and appliances, which can cause fires, water damage and appliance malfunctions.

So, why do you have mice? Here are 5 common reasons for mice invading homes across the country:

• They are scavengers. They forage around looking for food for themselves and their families. They will eat pretty much anything in your trash, pantry, and kitchen.

• They need shelter. As the weather gets cooler, they will seek refuge in your home. Your home provides all kinds of nooks and crannies to build nests and raise a large brood of youngsters. If it’s warm and dry, they will take up residence there.

• They need water. In order to survive, a little water now and then will help sustain mice in their quest to reproduce and raise their young. Dripping pipes, faucets or any type of standing water will do, mice are not that picky about their water source.

• They need to chew. Rodents are instinctual chewers and have a set of incisor teeth that continuously grow. They need to chew so that their teeth do not get too long, which would make it difficult for them to eat or scavenge. Their long teeth would get in their way of even the simplest of tasks, like walking.

• They are curious. They love to smell around and get into everything they encounter. Their natural curiosity can get them into all kinds of mischief, by falling into buckets or pools and not being able to get out. They are like little Houdini’s that can contort themselves through some incredibly tiny cracks and holes, which is why getting into a home is not a problem for them. Some mice have been known to enter through a hole as small as a dime!

If you are tired of mice taking over your home, you need a home pest control service that can remove the mice and assure you that they will not come back. You won’t have to worry about the potential damages or health concerns that are related to mice. You will have peace of mind that you are protecting your family and your home in the best way possible.

Schendel Pest Services serves Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Arkansas, and offers a year-round Premium Care Program that is guaranteed to keep your home free of pests for one year. If you find pests return, our PestZero Guarantee assures you that we will return at no additional cost to take care of the problem. We use effective materials and the latest technology to eliminate pests and prevent new infestations. As always, we work with honesty and integrity to meet our customer’s needs. If you are looking for a professional pest control service that can solve all of your pest control needs, look no further than Schendel Pest Services.