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If you have a mouse problem, there’s a good chance
you won’t know it. The signs of a mouse in the house
can be subtle, but their impact is not. And getting
rid of a mouse usually involves more than a mouse
trap. And watch out—if you have one, you have many.
A female mouse can produce a litter of eight every
four weeks.
Getting rid of mice is important. The harm caused by
house mice can be considerable. Mice cause damage.
They can eat your food, leave food storage caches
that rot and smell, chew through clothing and
possessions, and leave urine trails and droppings
that cause stains or permanently mar wood. But the
harm doesn’t stop there. Mice attract other pests
like fleas, tick and mites—and the diseases and
discomfort those pests bring. Mice are themselves
notorious vectors for diseases and parasites. They
helped spread the bubonic plague through Europe in
the Middle Ages, and, though extremely rare (the
Center for Disease Control reports only three cases
of the disease in New York since 1993), mice
carrying the Hantavirus have been making headlines.
And mice produce an allergen to which children are
especially susceptible. |
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