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FOR THE Holidays

HOW TO DETECT SOMEONE ELSE MAY BE HOME THIS SEASON

BY KENDEL CHEATHAM

As the holiday season rolls in and you begin digging out the boxes and totes of holiday stuff – there are things you should look out for, for you and your family’s safety and health. little holes, droppings, or discoloration of the box, which is an indication of urine (unless you have a leaky basement).

If you come across any of these signs, wash your hands immediately. Then throw on a pair of gloves and get ready to sanitize or potentially throw away things. Don’t panic and think you have to throw away all of your holiday decorations. Plastic materials, or even cloth can be sanitized and washed. It’s the paper or cardboard items that should be thrown away.

You should note one mouse can create up to 70 droppings a day. So, if you do come across a ton of droppings, this doesn’t mean you have a large infestation. But it is important to note these things and get the situation under control before it gets out of hand. The typical house mouse’s main nesting area is about 30 feet away from your home, and can breed year-round and have six to eight young. Those young can start breeding as young as five weeks old.

There are things you can do to prevent a mice infestation like keeping things tidy and making sure food is stored properly. Make sure to keep the door closed when it’s warm out. If you want to take care of the problem yourself, glue traps are a good choice, just be sure not to put them in places kids or pets can get stuck too. Always place traps along the walls as mice rarely run across a room due to their awful eyesight.

And always, when in doubt, call a professional. We’ll have your back and make sure there is no potential issue. Or take care of it.

While you’re getting things out of your shed, attic, basement or storage area – make sure to take a look at the floor, especially in corners. You might find some droppings or maybe you will find some loose insulation you don’t recall being there the year before, or potentially find disturbances in the insulation. This could be a sign of a mouse problem.

During the cold winter season, mice find a way in by accident, or for warmth. From there, they make your space their home – creating tunnels out of your insulation and surrounding stuff. They might chew through your cardboard boxes, where you might find

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