Even though this comes from Texas I thought the video was worth your read or watch.
Always use caution when cleaning, especially if you are in areas known to house the Deer Mouse
Photo by NPMA
Oh yes they are, and we all need to be aware they are always out there and wanting into our cozy warm homes. What can you do to keep them out?
- Seal all holes coming into your home.
- Repair screens.
- Install door sweeps.
- Install garage door seals.
- Close flue dampers or at least check them.
- Pay attention to wiring around homes, rodents need to keep their teeth from growing to long.
- Seal weep holes and check attic often.
- When brining stuff down from attic, open boxes outside – prevents anything from getting loose within the house.
Photo by Univar
It turns out that millions of tiny bugs are consuming the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs per year over a 150-block strip in Manhattan.
Just when you thought it was safe to go out into the streets of New York City – this amazing factoid “The bugs on a single NYC median can eat 14 pounds of food per year” Actually it is a good thing, if they didn’t eat all this stuff it might bring out more and possibly dangerous things like rodents.
My thoughts are just one rodent in the house is one to many. Wherever you live there is probably a Pest Management Professional…
A recent story in the news brings to light – the caution needed when doing work in crawlspaces or attic areas. If you live in the Southwest you need to be aware of hantavirus – “Adams County, CO man dies of hantavirus“.
Urine or feces which if dried, can be inhaled and brought into your lungs and then the symptoms really begin – they include fever, chills, headache & severe muscle pain, especially in the lower back and legs.
Photo by NPMA
I think all of us have seen the cartoons of “Tom & Jerry” and “Speedy Gonzales” and the cuteness of the mice etc but they should be feared if they get into your home. We should be aware that letting rodents, mammals and or birds take up residence within our homes can lead to other problems. If we fail to notice or just let them in we could have secondary pests like fleas or ticks, when we eventually get rid of them. I recently had someone call who had bats in a log home and after they excluded the bats they were left with some nasty batbugs similar to bedbugs.
The University of Arizona provides a very handy newsletter and this month November is right on target. “Rodents: Get them out of your school, house and yard.”
I’ve had people say well it’s only 1 mouse or rat, but let me tell you one is enough and should be dealt with ASAP if not sooner. Home-sealing is the best method to keep these little pest out of your home.
At this time of year due to the cooler nights some of the mammals will try to enter structures. They don’t know any different than this looks like a cave or tree hole.
So don’t make your home or business look like their home. Seal any holes or access points and stop them from getting in. They will x0ollect leaves, twigs and anything that will help to keep them warm.
The National Forest Service shuts down a National Forest in Northern New Mexico and this little mouse also lives in the White Mountains of Arizona. “Forest Lands closed to protect Mouse”
Critical areas include portions of the Apache Sitgreaves National Forests in both New Mexico and Arizona.
Photo from www.fs.fed.us provided for information on advisory
Well the heat is finally going away and the cooler weather is right around the corner. Thank goodness – I’m not sure it was the heat or that humidity but whatever I’m thankful it is getting cooler.
Termites continue to pop up around the valley and if the weather doesn’t get real cold the pests will continue. So now would be a great time to tackle those little chores around the house to prevent pests from getting in. What can you do?
- Home seal.
- Check sheds or other structures.
- Repair window screens or door screens.
- Install door thresholds or sweeps.
- Install garage door seals.
- Trim trees away from home.
- Repair drip or flood irrigation systems.
Rodents in general need to work down their teeth and this is often done on materials harder than their teeth. Every once in awhile I’ll notice some wiring on pool equipment that looks like it has been chewed on. This last month in Paris, France this habit took on dangerous overtones when a train accident occurred. Rats nibbled on signalling cables and this prevented a light to function correctly. “Rats blamed for rail accident“, luckily no one was killed but 40 people were injured.
Photo by Univar