Avoiding Hantavirus For The Holidays

Lots of preparation goes into the holiday season, especially here at Terminix Wil-Kil. A lot of us here have families, so we know what goes into creating an exciting and fun holiday celebration that the whole family can enjoy. We spend a lot of time stringing lights on the outsides of our homes, decorating the insides of our homes with ornaments, wreaths and holiday figurines and spending time in the kitchen, baking up holiday treats to share with friends and family and to create that all important holiday meal. Most people do very little pest prevention this time of year, because pests are not on our radar during this joyful season. Unfortunately, if you don’t do some pest prevention, you could end up with a pest invasion as the weather gets colder and your holiday season will be ruined as the pitter patter of tiny mouse feet run through your attic.

Mouse are undoubtedly a nuisance pest and some people choose to either not deal with them at all, or purchase mouse traps and place them throughout their homes. Ignoring mice in your home is never a good idea. These pests can get into your food supply and contaminate it with their droppings, and they can destroy the structure of your home by gnawing at the walls, creating nests in your insulation and chewing through wiring. So although mice are a nuisance pest, they can be quite dangerous for your family and your home.

The best thing you can do if you find a mouse in your home is to first see if you can locate where the rodent gained entry. If you can find an obvious gap in your home’s exterior, sealing it up with insulation or caulking will help to keep more rodents from entering. Locating the nest is also helpful, so that you have an idea of how large this mouse problem really is. You can look for signs of mice, which include:

• Mouse droppings, which look like brown grains of rice
• Gnawed wall board or food containers
• Little piles of chewed material, which are the rodent’s ‘trash piles’
• Squeaking noises and shuffling noises in the walls or attic

If you set out traps near rodent droppings or little rodent trash piles, you have a better chance of catching these critters. If you see a mouse, try to avoid touching it or getting too close. Rodents can transmit all kinds of diseases, including Hantavirus through their bites, saliva, and excrement. Hantavirus is a group of viruses that are carried by rodents and it can be life threatening to humans. If you locate the rodent infestation in your home, don’t try to evict the creatures all by yourself; let the professionals at Terminix Wil-Kil take on that task! We want you to have a happy and enjoyable holiday season, so contact us today if you have mice or rats that have invaded your home. Don’t let these pests stay inside your home and near your family another minute, call Terminix Wil-Kil today at {ap_snippet:global-toll-free-tracking-number}, or visit our Enviroguard page for more details about how we can help you control pests affordably and with consideration to health and safety concerns for your Wisconsin, Illinois or Minnesota home.

Contact Terminix Wil-Kil Pest Control for your pest control needs.