Fun Fact Friday: Myth About Mice

Do mice and rats have skeletons made of collapsible cartilage?  People assume that because rats and mice can fit through tiny spaces, they must have some special kind of collapsible skeleton with rubbery bones.  Nope.  They have your average every day skeleton.  So how do they do it?  I mean rats (smaller ones not giants) can fit through a hole the size of a quarter and mice can of course fit through even tinier places.

Well, the bottom line is, even though they are moving fast, they gauge whether or not they can fit through a hole before diving in.  And how do they do that?  Whiskers baby.  It's all about the whiskers.  So rodents will feel with their whiskers (by sticking their nose in a hole) before diving in, if they won't fit they quickly dash to another place, where they will fit.  If they do fit, they dive right in and disappear much to the discontentment and disgust of people everywhere.

So how do they actually fit?  Well, it's simple.  Rats and mice are kind of torpedo shaped and they are designed for digging burrows and moving through tunnels.  Considering that burrowing and tunneling is what they do, it makes sense that tiny holes and spaces are no issue for them.  So there you have it.  If you've been told about, or read about the magical all cartilage collapsible skeleton of rodents, it's a myth.  Like all vertebrates, they have skeletons made of bones, joints and cartilage- and it doesn't come apart or collapse to allow them to pass through small spaces.

What CAN they do?  Well, the truth is they can wiggle and squeeze their way into some pretty tiny spaces- and they can do it fast.  They are capable of expelling some air from their chest cavity to better fit in tiny spaces and they are smaller than they look (kind of like a person can suck in their stomach to fit into smaller jeans).  Even short fur makes rodents look a little bulkier than they actually are.  They use their skeletal structure to their advantage, but they do not have a special collapsible skeleton made entirely of cartilage.

In the wild, they have small tunnel entrances into their burrows to camouflage and keep their burrows hidden from predators.  Being able to quickly dash and dive into a tunnel, hole, small space is part of what they do naturally, whether they are in the wild or alongside people.

Rodents| Last Friday of the Year| Fun Fact

The last Fun Fact Friday of 2012!  It is the last Friday of the year, the last fun fact of the year, how's that for pressure?  Just kidding, no pressure here, after all this is FUN fact Friday, and last time I checked fun did not really really involve pressure or stress.

Because rodents are a big problem this time of year, today's fun fact is on rodents.  Rodents' front teeth never stop growing.  Is this fact important? YES!  It is very important and answers some questions people have regarding rodents and pest control.

One question this answers is: "How do rodents cause electrical fires?"  The answer to this question?  They chew on wires.  Why do they chew on the wires?  They chew on the wires because their front teeth never stop growing and they must gnaw on things in order to keep their teeth filed and sharpened.  When rodents gnaw on wiring, they cause holes in the casing and sparks from the electrical current of the exposed and damaged wiring can ignite flammable materials on or around the wiring.

Another question answered, "Why are there bite marks on wooden surfaces where rodents are nesting?" Again it is the teeth constantly growing and the gnawing is used to keep the length of the teeth in check.  Right along side this question is "Why have rodents chewed on my (non food item) stuff?"  And the answer is the same.

It is important to deal with a rodent infestation, not only because they chew on things (including wiring) and potentially cause fires. They also carry diseases that can be transferred to humans, urine and feces can contaminate food/food prep areas, they destroy and contaminate duct work, insulation as well as personal items.

I looked for a youtube video about rodent teeth and came up with some videos that completely grossed me out (like someone letting a rat clean their teeth- no joke).  So instead of rodent teeth, here is a video about the night life of rats.



For all of your rodent and pest control needs, Peak Pest Management has a solution.  If you are having trouble with rats, mice or other pests please give me a call and I will be happy to help you out.

Micah Wood
www.peak-pest-management.com
micah@peak-pest-management.com
Pest Control Portland 503-998-4322
Pest Control Vancouver 360-607-1933
Pest Control Seattle 206-790-8285

Mice | Fun Fact Friday | Mouse means:

The English word for mouse is derived from a Latin word that is derived from a Sansrit word... or so I've read in multiple places.  I'm not going to bore you with the details. For one thing, I like people to read my blog.  Another? Oh, I don't really remember the details because it was kind of boring to read through. But I waded through boring word derivitives all to bring you this:

The word mouse means theif.  Why yes, this is in gold!  Why?  Oh because I thought this little nugget of information was golden!  Or because I wanted to spice things up by changing the color of the text for a little while.  I heard somewhere it helps keep people interested in what you're saying...  How's that working for you?

Anyways, yes, mouse means thief.  It is a very fitting name for a mouse, because they get into things, steal food, steal materials to make their nest etc.  Perhaps the worst thing they steal? Sanity and peace of mind!  Okay maybe not really sanity, but peace of mind? Yes!  Mice are disconcerting little creatures that cause people, who otherwise behave normally, to shriek and jump onto chairs... And not only in cartoons or on tv...  This happens in real life too, I have witnessed it.  And no it was NOT me.  I do not shriek and jump onto chairs-- in my line of work (you know, helping other people deal with these and other pests), that would probably not go over well.  I may or may not have family members who shriek at the sight of a mouse... and they may or may not also sprint away as fast as they possibly can.

Mice in the home cause people to lose more than a little peace of mind because they can contaminate food, ruin clothing and materials, carry fleas and disease and scurry quite quickly under doors and furniture.  A mouse nest in my home would not be well tollerated and not just because pest control is my profession.

Just for fun here is a National Geographic clip on rats. 1 mating pair can have up to 15,000 decendents in a year.  This video is from India, where most people will not kill rats...  But still, undisturbed, this is how rats multiply!



For trouble with mice, or rats, give me a call.  I'll help you out.

Micah Wood
Vancouver 360-607-1933
Portland 503-998-4322
Seattle 206-790-8285
www.peak-pest-management.com
email me micah@peak-pest-management.com

Mice Eek! A Mouse in my House?

Lately I have had several friends, relatives and acquaintances talk about, post about, blog about, or call about mice.  Mice are a common pest.  The term common does not indicate welcome- in fact a mouse is often greeted with a shriek of terror.  Mice are attracted to homes, apartments, businesses, etc because of the available food source as well as the cozy environment and nesting material available.

The stereotypical assumption is that mice infest only messy homes is false!  Clean homes have all of the makings of an environment in which mice can thrive.  A clean home most often still has water, food and some sort of nesting materials (insulation, towels, blankets, clothes, material, paper, etc).  It can be harder to deal with a rodent infestation in a messy home, but clean homes and messy homes alike are susceptible to mouse infestations.  Mice are not a reflection on the cleanliness of the human inhabitants of a home.  That said, the earlier mice are dealt with the better.

Mice can cause a number of problems:

• The first problem is sanitation of food and food preparation areas.  If mice are getting into food, it is no longer a safe food for people to eat because of the bacteria associated with mice as well as feces.
• Another major problem mice can cause is compromised electrical wiring.  Mice can chew on and through cords and wires in a home putting the home at a greater risk for fire.
• Mice can tear up insulation and duct work.  The insulation can be a big mess to clean up and the duct work can be costly to repair depending on the extent of the damage and how easily the damaged areas can be accessed.
• Mice can ruin clothing, blankets, towels, papers, and keepsakes.  They will shred cloth and paper to make their nests.  Rodent feces and urine can also stain and contaminate many different types of items.
• Mice generally make a mess of the area they are nesting and can leave food and food trails around attracting other pests, such as cockroaches.

Now that you know what mice can do, you might be wondering, "What can I do to get rid of mice, or prevent an infestation."  There are a number of steps you can take.

1. Store all open food in sealed containers.  This goes for food of the human and pet varieties.
2. Keep important documents in a document safe or other sealed container that will be difficult for mice to get into.
3. Keep unused or keepsake clothing and linens in air tight storage.
4. Regularly check (or have someone brave check) your crawlspace, garage, etc.  If you hear scurrying or munching sounds I'd go with a professional inspection.
5. Bird feeders and bird food can encourage rodents.  I recommend not using bird feeders-- or choosing hummingbird feeders instead of typical bird feeders.

The steps listed above are not a guarantee that you won't encounter rodents in your home, but it will make it less likely and easier to get rid of mice if you do find them.

Micah Wood
peak-pest-management.com
Micah@peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933