Lifestyles

Either Clement C. Moore wanted to stress just how deep that Christmas Eve night was, or he didn't know his mice very well.

The fact is, mice do stir at night. And at this time of year, when temperatures have dropped, they stir from their outdoor lairs and make themselves unwanted visitors in homes like yours. Not the sort of guests you'd like at your holiday buffet.

"It doesn't matter whether your home is clean or dirty," says Obie Lewis, service manager for the Terminix branch in Bridgeville. "Rodents come into your house for two reasons: to get out of the weather, and for food. They do not hibernate -- except in your home."

Still, says Gary San Julian, Penn State professor of wildlife resources, "If you don't clean up excess food, you're going to draw mice and rats." That includes bird feeders, which Lewis says should be situated as far away from the house as possible.

Among the most common rodent invaders -- infiltrating around 21 million homes each year -- are house mice, field mice and Norway rats. How do these critters conduct their home invasions? Any hole 1/4 inch in diameter is large enough to let a mouse in.

"If there's a crack in the foundation, they feel the heat coming out," Lewis says. "Once they're in, they set up shop real quick. Take a regular lead pencil. (If you can) put a pencil in that hole, they can get in." Rats need a slightly larger opening, of at least 1/2 inch in diameter.

Lewis says a raised garage door is an open invitation to a scurrying rodent looking for a source of heat. Leave open the door to the adjoining house when you put groceries away, and you could open the door to an unwanted critter. And these vermin don't fly solo. "Three Blind Mice" was based on genuine mouse habits.

The experts say the best way to deal with rodents is prevention. Don't store firewood or other materials near home foundations, and trim shrubbery because rodents like places in which to hide. Block up holes in the foundation or siding with caulking and metal hardware cloth or steel or copper wool.

Mice can chew through caulking alone, says Stephen Jacobs, a Penn State professor of urban entymology who also has 30 years of experience in pest control.

Jacobs says homeowners can use a light and mirror used by auto mechanics to inspect exterior areas where siding meets the foundation or siding corners.

For homeowners with a rat problem, Jacobs recommends hiring experts to deal with it.

Homeowners themselves could take care of eliminating mice, although Lewis says his company receives calls from people who are squeamish or who have a bad infestation.

For people who want to try dealing with a mice infestation themselves, Lewis says snap traps are best.

"We do not use bait and poison," the Terminix service manager says. "If a mouse dies somewhere and another animal eats it, there could be a dead dog, cat or raccoon. Or (the rodent) could die in a wall and you'll have a smell."

Jacobs, the insect expert, says dead rodents inside walls also attract other odious pests: blowflies and carpet beetles.

San Julian advises placing traps near walls, with the pedal perpendicular to the wall. "You want the bait closest to the wall," where rodents travel, he says.

These dangerous issues accompany rodent infestation, the experts say:

• Electrical safety

"Rodents' teeth never stop growing. They have to keep gnawing to keep their teeth down," Lewis says. "They get in attics and can chew on electrical wires. Rodents have been known to cause fires" when they chew through coated electrical wires.

Lewis says Terminix representatives sometimes use blow-in insulation in attics as part of its program. The insulation contains boric acid, which repels vermin and also covers wires they could gnaw.

• Disease

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, rodents transmit about 35 diseases worldwide, either directly or indirectly. In addition to such diseases as salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, rodents can carry ringworm, mites, tapeworms and ticks. Worse still, they can carry the hantavirus, which has been fatal in two out of four Pennsylvania hantavirus cases documented in the past 10 years, says Stacy Kriedeman, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

There is no cure for the hantavirus, which causes people's lungs to fill with fluid and has a 40 percent to 80 percent fatality rate. The virus has a one- to three-week incubation period, then creates flu-like symptoms. Death usually is caused by a respiratory infection.

One of the two people who died from the virus was a man from Lehigh County who contracted it during a stay at a Potter County hunting cabin. For owners of hunting cabins, trailers and boats, Jacobs recommends careful inspections for rodents, eradicating the animals and cleaning carefully.

People can tell mice have visited by their small dark droppings, 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. The mice leave droppings everywhere they eat because they have no bladder to store waste, Lewis says.

Do not vacuum or dry-sweep the droppings, Kriedeman says. The hantavirus and some other rodent-carried diseases can be ingested by breathing airborne particles.

Instead, the health department recommends wearing rubber or latex gloves and using a sponge mop or cloth moistened with a bleach solution to gather up the droppings. San Julian of Penn State says homeowners also can spray the droppings with a 10 percent bleach solution before brushing the moistened droppings gently onto a dust pan.

Kriedeman says to double-bag all cleaning materials and dispose of them properly. Spray dead rodents with bleach solution or disinfectant before double-bagging and disposing of properly.

Disinfect the gloves with bleach or disinfectant before removing, then thoroughly wash your hands, Kriedeman says.

Preventing an infestation of rodents or dealing with them properly could make for a more pleasant holiday season and happier, vermin-free New Year.

Tips to keep rodents out

1. Move piles of debris, such as firewood, away from the home's foundation. These provide sources of shelter for rodents and could attract them closer to your home.

2. Seal holes or cracks in your home's exterior. Rodents can squeeze through openings smaller than 1/4 inch. If your finger can fit in the opening, then it's best to seal it up. Large openings should be stuffed with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk.

3. Ensure attic and foundation vents are equipped with tight-fitting, 1/4-inch grid metal hardware cloth. A regular screen will not deter rodents, as they can easily chew through the material. Rodents are persistent and will continuously search for access points in the exterior of the home. Common entry points include utility entrances and even exterior vents.

4. Install a tight-fitting weather strip on the bottom of all doors. Doors can be a weak point in the home's defense against rodents. Mice are capable of sliding under garage doors and other portals that do not have a tight seal.

5. Trim shrubbery away from the side of the home. Rodents do not like to travel in the open. A well-manicured area near the house can discourage activity.

Source: Terminix

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