Mice are one of the more destructive members of the rodent family. They are well known to damage just about anything they are able to get their teeth around. This includes chewing through electrical wires, most furniture, shoes, and even boxes. It is this chewing behavior that makes mouse infestations especially problematic, as they can destroy your property the longer they are allowed to live inside your home.

But the reason that mice are destructive is not because they are trying to cause trouble. It’s because they absolutely have to chew for their own health.

Mice Keep Their Teeth Short by Grinding them Down

When you see a mouse chewing through a shoe or part of your property, they are doing it to keep their teeth short. Unlike human teeth, which are a set size that we have for life, mice have teeth that are constantly growing, all day, every day. Every time they chew, they grind their teeth down. If they do not consistently chew or gnaw on objects their teeth will continue to grow until they are too large and sharp to be used correctly.

If this condition is not corrected in time, the mouse could have trouble eating and may end up starving to death. This is why mice chew on whatever objects they can find. The consistent gnawing allows them to grind their teeth down so that their bite can remain the appropriate length.

More Then Destructive, Mice Can be Dangerous to Your Health

There are many reasons not to want mice in your home. Mice are carriers of zoonotic diseases, meaning they often serve as hosts to several different infectious diseases. Their chewing and their droppings also means that they can damage parts of your property that can lead to house fires and other problems. Mice that chew into your property can cause issues that include:

• Torn Insulation
• Chewed Wiring
• Spread of Diseases
• Food Residue
• Droppings

Mice are a highly adaptable species, which implies they’re unlikely to abandon your home of their own accord once they’ve established a nest. If they’ve found food and shelter, evicting them without professional help can be challenging. Furthermore, if not removed promptly, the damage mice can inflict on your property could be substantial.

Their propensity to chew and cause property damage is increasingly problematic in the Roseville area. However, it’s not entirely the mice’s fault. They don’t intentionally damage furniture or homes out of malice. The destructive nature of mice is due to their continuously growing teeth.

When dealing with a rodent infestation, understand the mice are not destructive because of aggression or fear, it is because they have to be for their own health. This is also why homeowners need to be able to identify and remove rodent infestations as soon as they are able to. The longer mice are allowed to live around your home, the more likely they are to chew through your electrical wires or cause even more damage to your property.