Do Mice Carry Fleas?

Mice are some of the most destructive pests you can find in your home. They are known for causing housefires by gnawing on wires and spreading diseases to people and their pets. When a mouse takes up residence in your home, it might not be coming alone. Just like your pet, mice can bring fleas inside. Learn all about mice, their fleas, and what you can do to prevent this troublesome pair from entering your home.

What You Need to Know About Mice and Fleas

How Mice Get Fleas

Fleas hide in your lawn looking for a meal: the blood of a vertebrate host. They hop onto an animal that wanders by to feast and end up going for a ride. If this animal is a mouse interested in finding shelter in your home, the flea comes along.

What This Means for Your Home

Just like if your furry pet brings fleas indoors, you are in for quite the headache if they hitch a ride on mice. Eventually, the flea will hop off of its mouse host and end up on your carpet, furniture, pets, and even you. You will need to take the proper steps to get rid of your flea problem because it will continue to get worse as females lay eggs. Fortunately, there are many ways you can try to eliminate the fleas on your own if want to try it yourself before calling in the experts.

How to Protect Your Home from Mice and Their Fleas

The best way to protect your home from mice and their fleas is to keep the mice away in the first place. (You’ll need to do other things to keep your home from having a flea-only infestation.)

• Seal any entry points into your home. Don’t let that little crack fool you! A baby mouse only needs a hole as big as a pen to sneak in, while an adult can fit in a dime-sized hole.
• Keep your home tidy. If you want to prevent rodents, you have to be a poor host. They won’t just like the warmth of your home—they’ll love it if you leave food out for them too. Don’t let them think you’re welcoming them by improperly storing food in your garage or basement. Keep everything locked and sealed tight, and be sure to sweep your garage regularly.
• Store things the right way. Store firewood piles or anything else rodents can live in at least 20 feet from your home. And if you have a lot of boxes lying around, find a way to consolidate them so there aren’t any cozy places for a critter to make a home.
• Identify an infestation right away. No matter how hard you try, rodents will sometimes find their way into your house, but it won’t always be obvious they’re there. Check periodically for feces—it’s sometimes the only sign of them. You might also hear the scurrying around or see gnaw marks where there weren’t any before. Of course, an unexpected flea infestation could be a sign, too.
• Call Green Pest Solutions. We believe preventative care is one of the best ways to keep mice out. Call us today to learn about our rodent extermination services and how our preventative programs can help keep pests like mice and their fleas out of your home.