Mice and Fleas: 2 Pest Problems That Go Hand-In-Hand

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.

 If you notice a flea problem and you do not have any pets in your home or the pets that you do have in and around your home are treated, your best bet is to look for a rodent infestation. As with any animal that has fur, mice are great carriers of fleas, and once they head inside your home, the fleas will too.

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.

The biggest problem with this 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. You’re only safe bet? An exterminator to treat both issues simultaneously.

Keeping Them 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. 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 it 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. 

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? Learn more about the types of mice in the state on our blog.