There are as many misguided myths about mice, as there are for Jimmy Hoffa or D.B. Cooper (look it up, I know I’m aging myself). So to clear up the confusion here is a list of some of the most common myths that we encounter as pest control professionals.
Myth 1:
Mice love cheese, and it’s the ideal mouse trap bait.
Mice do eat cheese, but also eat many other things from meat to their own feces. The best bait that you can use will not necessarily be cheese (or peanut butter) but the things that they appear to be eating or using as nesting material. If you notice that rodents have eaten your stash of birdseed, then that is a great bait to use (or paper towels, etc.)
Myth 2:
Mice do not have skeletons or their bones are flexible like cartilage.
This one comes from people thinking mice somehow flatten themselves out to get through a small hole or under a door. The real fact is that a mouse only needs one-quarter inch of space to fit. It’s not because their bones are flexible, it’s because of their skull, which measures one-quarter inch and the fact they lack a collarbone. Once their head is through the hole they can pull the rest of their body through, as well.
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Myth 3:
Mice are nocturnal and only feed at night.
Mice not only feed during the day, they feed up to 20 times daily, which means they are busy all day and all night long.
Myth 4:
Seeing one mouse is no big deal, and it’s so cute, who cares?
We run into this a lot and find that people have a huge misconception about that cute furry little rodent. First off, having only one mouse is highly unlikely. Chances are there is a mate somewhere and every six weeks they can give birth to more mice, who also will pair up and before you know it, you have an infestation that is out of control.
Myth 5:
Mice do not pose a real threat.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Mice pose a serious health risk and can carry multiple diseases; some of which can be fatal; including Salmonella, Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, and the Plague (from fleas). Letting a mouse infestation go unchecked is an enormous concern and can eventually cause serious harm to your family.
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Myth 6:
My cat or dog can take care of my problem; it’s only a few mice anyway.Â
See Myth 4; it’s more than a few mice. If you only had one or two, Fluffy or Fido may do the trick.  That is assuming they actually kill them and not just bat them around like a toy.  Furthermore, because of their ability to squeeze into very small spaces, as discussed in Myth 2, mice are often able to easily escape the reaches of your pets.
Myth 7:
Mice cannot get in high places; they are stuck on the ground.
How we wish this were true, it would make pest control a whole lot easier. The truth is that mice can scale walls and pipes to get to areas that are difficult for humans to reach. Remember they only need one-quarter inch to enter, so don’t think that sealing that small hole at your gutter line is unimportant. Chances are, mice can get in there if they want.
Myth 8:
Mice eat bait and go outside to die or go to find water and die.
Of all the myths, this one might be the most repeated to Pest Control professionals. Ideally, this scenario would be fantastic, and we’d never have to deal with any odor from dead mice, but it’s just not true. Often the mice will die in their nest, and there will be an odor for about a week. If it’s possible to remove the dead mouse physically, that is the easiest and the best way to take care of it (remember to wear protective gloves), but most of the time that is not the scenario that we encounter in people’s homes.
So there you have it, eight common myths that we hear all the time in the field. How many did we debunk for you? If you have a mouse problem, don’t try to tackle it alone, give Modern Pest Services a call today at 1-800-323-7378 or get a FREE quote for the comprehensive HomeCare Green program that controls 60 common pests – including mice!
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