Mice are known to cause damage to the property and even spread diseases directly or indirectly. For people living in Belleville, rodent infestation is not something unheard of, as it is pretty standard. Mice seem small in size, but they are capable of doing a lot of damage; they sneak inside your home, seeking food and warmth.
They multiply, and before you know it, you have a full-blown infestation to deal with. They do not limit themselves to appliances and furniture. Instead, mice eat up your food as well. It is more like having a roommate who eats your food, uses your stuff, and drinks the milk from the carton.
The difference is mice have no reason to be in your house, and they contaminate the food. Not only that, but they also bring numerous other problems, including diseases and lice, that you certainly do not want inside your home. In such situations, Exterminator Services in Belleville can be of great help.
Signs You May Have Mice in Your Home
Mice can quickly multiply in numbers, but they are known to stay hidden easily for long periods. Some common signs that hint at the presence of mice are the sound of scratching and a weird odor.
If you wake up in the morning and find scratch marks on the soap, it is most probably a sign that some rat or mouse was gnawing on its surface. You will start seeing bite or scratch marks anywhere. Some other signs include grease marks, droppings, and urine pillars.
Mice are nocturnal animals, so you may not see one before it has spread inside the entire house. They have a habit of gnawing constantly, which results in significant damage to the property. They chew on wires, equipment, and furniture, and the homeowner ends up with a hefty repair bill.
How Often Do They Reproduce?
Mice are considered breeding machines. Their gestation period is about 19 to 21 days. Females get pregnant 5 to 10 times every year and can give birth to a litter of 3 to 14 pups. The litter size varies from 6 to 8 pups on average. On average, a single female produces at least 32 to 56 pups every year.
They reproduce every year, and the female can mate again immediately after giving birth, which means you will be seeing a new litter within merely 25 days. It gets more complicated because the female babies are capable of reproducing at six weeks. They can have pups of their own, which sums up to about ten litters every year of their own.
If we apply the particular theory, just two mice that sneaked inside your home are capable of producing about 60 in just a year. Out of these, about 21 to 30 are females that will be capable of making their own in a month, which, in theory, would result in 5,082 mice in merely a year.
A mathematician even did some calculations, and the number was 5 million in a year if mice got their perfect world.
How Long Do They Live?
The average life of a mouse in outdoor conditions is about 12 months. But if they become a refugee in your home, they can live up to 2 years or even 3. Some people may think that they can wait till the mouse dies on its own, but what about their babies and the babies of their babies? The multiplication rate of mice is almost unbelievable.
In the outdoors, they are part of the food chain that maintains balance, but inside your home, they only bring disease and destruction along with them.
The Next Step if You Suspect an Infestation!
If you suspect a rodent infestation, it is time to call the professionals to eliminate them from your property before they cause significant damage or lead to severe disease, which puts your entire family at substantial risk.