Have you been seeing one of Mickey’s relatives peeking from under the sofa? Chances are you have been seeing this little rascal every night while you watch television. Most of the time you do not mind, anyway, you are just seeing one mouse, not two, or three, or four. Two would be too much, you say to yourself, but one mouse is tolerable and even cute. You might be thinking that one is far from having a mice infestation problem. Or is it?

Mice are polarizing creatures. A lot of people love them, and even keep them as pets. But there are a lot more who are terrified by them, screaming each time they see one. This is because mice, admittedly, look cute and cuddly, but at the same time they are little rascals.  

One mouse can carry a plethora of diseases. So that single mouse you see every night will mean plenty of trouble.  

Mice are nocturnal creatures, so even if you do not see one does not mean that you do not have one in your house.  

Go-Forth Pest Control, the best pest control company in Fort Mill SC for Mice & Rats, is here to talk to you about mice and mice infestation, and everything else you need to know about these little pests.


Speaking about Mickey Mouse, I am sure you would not mind if it were him who you are living in your house. Mickey is a kind, gentle, and responsible homeowner himself who knows how to take care of his pet dog, Pluto. But you are not dealing with Mickey Mouse. Instead, it is his real-life relatives who are way less refined than he is, and they spell trouble.  

Mice may be cute to you, but they are such a nuisance to have. More than that, they can cause huge damage to property, crops, and health wherever they go.  

Mice are nocturnal creatures; they are active at night and sleep during the day. They are among the most common household and business pests. The house mice are gray, with cream-colored bellies. They have large rounded eyes, have pointed muzzles, have tails that are longer than their bodies, and have four legs. They grow to as long as 3.75 inches, not including their tails.    

They enter houses looking for food, water, and shelter. Once inside, mice raid our kitchen, dining area, and pantry to look for food that is left unprotected. They leave their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit in the process, and in this way, they contaminate our food and water. This sets us up to getting infected by diseases that they carry. Leptospirosis, salmonella, and rat-bite fever are just a few of the nasty diseases they spread.  

Mice use a single path to get to where they want to go. They always crawl beside walls and do not like to be exposed in open spaces. When they find something different along their paths, they avoid it. They recognize a new obstruction. This is because they have incredible memories and can easily remember the paths that they took. As pets, they recognize their owners, something that is uncommon among animals.

They are very intelligent creatures. They love to investigate and are very inquisitive, but they avoid confrontation.

Reproduction and social life

One of the biggest problems that homeowners get with mice is that these creatures reproduce very fast. Mice love to do two things: eat and reproduce. They are very sexually active. Female mice are already sexually active at 5 weeks of age and can already reproduce. They can give birth to their young every 3 weeks, and continue to do so until they reach the age of 2 years. This makes them so good at surviving. Aside from that, they can stand being without water for a month. They get their hydration needs from the food that they eat.

Mice are highly social animals. They love being with their fellow mice and live in a single nest where they all eat, play, and sleep together. They play a lot, laughing as they do. They get sad and lonely when they are left alone. They mourn the death of their fellow mouse. Like humans, they also get depressed. They also like to mate, giving them a steady supply of offspring every few weeks.  

This now probably gives us a clue on whether a single mouse is a sign of an infestation.

Signs of Mice infestations

Many other signs give their presence away. Here are some of them:

  1. Mice droppings scattered around the house. Mice defecate a lot. Their droppings look like tiny black pellets.  
  2. Gnaw marks on food and food packages.
  3. Gnaw marks on boxes, cardboards, furniture, walls, electric cables, and gas pipes. Mice have incisors that are continuously growing, and chewing on something can stop its growth.  
  4. A stale, musty odor.  
  5. Grease marks, usually on walls, as mice’s bodies, are greasy and dirty.
  6. Food scraps and wrappings left everywhere, especially in places that are out of the way.  
  7. Scratching sounds coming from walls, ceilings, and floor cavities.  
  8. Shredded paper.
  9. Another way to find out if you have mice infestation is to scatter some flour in areas that you think the mice go to.  

If you see these signs, it is important to act quickly before it is too late. Mice will surely soon follow. Their numbers will continue to increase until you are inundated with these rodents.

Diseases Brought by Mice Infestation

Here are other problems that you may encounter once a mouse gets in your home


Urine from house mice contains an allergen that can cause symptoms related to asthma. Those with compromised immune systems are at risk. Mice urinate in microdroplets without looking for a toilet, so they do it anywhere they please.  

Food poisoning

Food that is contaminated by mice droppings and urine puts us in danger of food poisoning by salmonella. It can also be transmitted directly from contaminated surfaces and cooking utensils. Food poisoning can happen hours after eating or drinking contaminated food or water.


Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted by mice. Transmission happens when a person drinks water that is contaminated by mice’s urine. Wading in flood waters that are contaminated by mice urine can also transmit the disease. Symptoms include high fever, chills, headaches, abdominal pains, sore throat, fatigue, pain in the joints, pain in the muscles, reddish eyes, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, and rash. 

The Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) 

HPS is a serious and severe respiratory disease caused by the hantavirus infection and can lead to death if not treated. Humans become infected through exposure or inhalation of rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Early symptoms are fever, muscle aches, and fatigue, but misdiagnosis is common because these symptoms are commonly found in other diseases too.  

How to Control Mice 

Here are some of the tips you can do to get rid of mice.

  1. Search out for holes around your house. Seal cracks, crevices, and holes that you find. Mice can fit in a hole the size of a nickel. These openings can be used as entry points.
  2. Store food like rice, grains, pet food, and bird seeds in mice-proof metal or heavy plastic materials. Put away leftover food.
  3. Mouse-proof your trash cans and garbage bins by putting them on a platform that is 6 inches high. Cover your trash cans with a lid and make sure it is tight. Regularly dispose of your garbage properly and regularly. If your garbage cans have holes or cracks, replace them.
  4. Fix leaky pipes and faucets. Mice like water.
  5. Use mouse traps with bait. Place these traps beside walls. It is okay to reuse mouse traps the scent of a mouse can attract other mice.  
  6. If you have fruit trees, pick up all fruits that fell from it.

Your survival, as well as your family’s, would probably need you to kill several mice. Do not get upset when you kill them; mice reproduce quickly and there will be many more of them if not controlled. However, if you feel that killing is not for you, then you can ask the professionals to do all the dirty work for you.

If you need the pros, you would surely want the best. For the best mice control experts in Fort Mill, call Go-Forth Pest Control.

Why Go-Forth Pest Control is the expert in this industry?

Go-Forth Pest Control is the best-reviewed pest control company on social media; you can check us on Facebook or Google to see what our customers have to say about us. 

We have highly skilled and well trained licensed professional technicians, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business. Plus, our excellent experience in handling all kinds of pests proves truly invaluable. No one else has all these combinations. 

For more information, or to request a free quote, call us now or check us out on
