There are a number of reasons why you would not want mice in your home. They can carry a number of diseases, get into food, leave urine and droppings everywhere, and be generally loud as they move about behind your walls.

Yet some of the worst damage that mice will do is as a result of their teeth. The word “rodent” means “to gnaw” and this aptly describes mice who will spend a significant part of each day chewing in order to maintain their teeth. These are the reasons behind mice’s endless chewing and how it can result in damage at your home.

Biology of a Mouse’s Teeth

A mouse’s most prominent teeth are its incisors which are the front teeth on both the top and bottom. These teeth are relatively large in mice and they also never stop growing. Left alone, a mouse’s incisors would grow until they became a hindrance to regular activities. As the incisors have no roots, the teeth could also grow long enough to pierce into the mouse’s brain.

In order to keep their teeth at the right length, as well as sharp, mice have to manually grind them down. They do this in two ways. They grind their teeth together to wear down and sharpen them. Mice will also gnaw on objects in their environment to grind their teeth down.

The bone of a mouse’s teeth is extremely hard, even harder than metals including aluminum, copper, iron, and lead. This means that almost any substance that a mouse chews on around your home is weaker than their teeth and will be damaged by the chewing. Mice may leave behind teeth marks in materials or could create tears, holes, cracks, and other more significant damage.

Some of the different items that mice will most often chew on around homes include:

• Wooden Framing and Joists
• Pipes of All Materials
• Wiring
• Sheetrock
• Cardboard Boxes and Plastic Storage Bins
• Books
• Clothing

This damage may be only aesthetic, but in the worst cases, chewing through pipes and wiring expose your home to plumbing leaks, electrical damage, and even fire hazards, all of which could necessitate expensive repairs.

Despite being small, the damage that mice can do with their ever growing teeth makes it a good idea to watch for signs of mice around your home and work quickly if you suspect you have an infestation. Another challenge with mice is that you rarely have just one. An infestation of mice can quickly turn into dozens or hundreds of rodents all gnawing away at your home and leading to ever more expensive damage.

The team at ExtermPRO, the top rodent control company in Gainesville, can trap and get rid of mice if you have an infestation that might be causing damage. With our effective tools and advanced knowledge of rodents, we can work quickly to limit the time that mice have to spread disease or cause other risks to your home and family. Give us a call to schedule a rodent control visit.