Do Mice Carry Fleas?
If you already have a problem with mice in your home, you may have noticed that you have an associated problem: fleas. Wondering how the two fit together? Really well, actually.
Can You Get Fleas If You Don’t Have Pets?
Yes. If you notice a flea problem and you do not have any pets in your home—or the pets that you do have are treated—your best bet is to look for a rodent infestation.
Do Mice Carry Fleas?
Yes. As with any animal that has fur, mice are great carriers of fleas. Once mice head inside your home, the fleas will too.
Do Mice Have Fleas?
Not all mice bring in fleas, so it is not inevitable that every mice has fleas. Due to the fact that you can't place wild mice on a flea preventative as you can your pets, it's possible to have a flea infestation if you have a mice infestation concurrently.
Mice & Fleas
If you’ve ever dealt with either mice or fleas separately, you know how hard the two can be to get rid of. Add them together, and you have one serious problem on your hands. The fleas will begin laying eggs all over your house, and the mice will start to multiply once inside too. Fleas can number in the thousands rather quickly, and a colony of mice—if you’re not dealing with the problem—can get rather big rather quickly.
What to do if Mice Carry Fleas Into My Home
The biggest problem with a mice and flea combo is that it’s not something you can deal with on your own. Flea bombs will kill the living fleas, but they’ll do nothing for the eggs in your home or the fleas that are already on the mice. Mouse traps and poison will do little to solve both problems. Your only safe bet? An exterminator to treat both issues simultaneously.
Keeping Mice & Fleas Out
If you haven’t experienced this lovely combination yet, you certainly don’t want to. There are several things you can do to keep the mice, and thus the fleas, out of your home.
How to Keep Mice Out of Your Home
Start by taking a closer look at the outside of your house. Are there any cracks or crevices small enough for a mouse to sneak in? If so, seal them up as well as you possibly can with caulk, spray foam, or a patch of some kind.
Inside your home, you may want to make sure that you remove any possible food source, including dog, cat, and bird food—keep it in sealed containers. If you have small children, you may want to confine their snacks to the kitchen to keep from picking up crumbs here, there, and everywhere. You’ll also need to seal your garbage can each evening and avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
How to Keep Fleas Out of Your Home
Start with your pets. If you have dogs or cats—or any animal with fur, especially if they go outside—make sure they get their flea preventative treatment as scheduled. If you suspect they have fleas, immediately talk with your veterinarian to get your pet treated for fleas.
Keep your grass, trees, and hedges well-maintained—fleas love to hide in overgrown vegetation. Additionally, trees with branches too close to your home may entice furry wildlife that may be flea-infested to enter your home if there are available areas (holes, cracks, etc.). Keeping a well-maintained lawn also includes having an exterminator spray a flea preventative regularly!
Need a Mice or Flea Exterminator in Massachusetts?
Mice and fleas can go hand in hand, but it’s a very preventable problem. If you see either in your house, be sure to contact a pest control specialist immediately. Located in Massachusetts? The team at Ransford is here to help! We offer both mice removal and flea control. Give us a call today at 508-756-5197.
