Do Deer Mice Spread Disease?
Contact with deer mice and their saliva, waste, or parasites may lead to illness. Because some deer mouse diseases have a serious impact on public health, it's important to understand the risks of an infestation.
Common Deer Mouse Diseases
While they prefer to live outdoors in fields and meadows, deer mice sometimes move into homes to escape cold weather. This puts the pests close to people, where they can pass on a variety of diseases. The two most common are hantavirus and salmonellosis.
Hantavirus
In North America, deer mice are the main source of the Sin Nombre strain of hantavirus. Because this disease is spread by airborne particles of the pests' waste, living or working in an infested area can result in infection. This deer mouse disease is fatal in about one out of three cases.
Salmonellosis
This ailment comes from ingesting food tainted by deer mouse droppings. Caused by Salmonella bacteria, the disease may lead to flu-like symptoms and is most harmful for children and the elderly. Homeowners who suspect a deer mouse problem should check pantry goods for droppings or holes in packaging.
Other Illnesses
Deer mice can cause other infections such as Lyme disease and plague. Ticks and fleas in the pests' fur can transmit these diseases to people, pets, and other animals. As the rodents move between indoor nests and outdoor food sources, their parasites can easily hitch a ride into homes.
Removal
Because deer mouse diseases are harmful, these pests are more than just a nuisance. People concerned about deer mice and hantavirus should contact the wildlife experts at Critter Control. Trained technicians will conduct a thorough inspection to find and remove any problem rodents.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
Experience wildlife or pest issue? We can help! Complete this form and your local Critter Control® office will contact you to assist.
Best Bat Removal
Brandon was out to please and make out lives easier with out bat situation. Above and beyond of the call of duty and got the job done. Thank you!
BAT POOP CLEAN-UP AND PREVENTION! Bat guano removed from gables. No bats found in attic, so put new screens on all gable vents, as one screen was close to breaking and then bats may have gotten in! Great work in
Tulsa!
Squirrels and chipmunks were in our attic. So we called Critter Control to do an inspection. Their representative climbed all over our very steep roof and found several places where squirrels had entered our attic.
Upon inspection of the attic, evidence of bats was also found. The Critter Control team came on time to completely caulk the entire perimeter of the house and create an exit strategy for the squirrels and bats.
Because
bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, this also required total removal and replacement of our attic insulation and sanitizing the space. Not a small job in a 1,300 sq. ft. attic! While Critter Control’s cost was high, our homeowners insurance covered most of it. Everyone representing Critter Control was professional, courteous and timely. I would highly recommend them to anyone who thinks they might have unwelcome guests living in their attic
On recommendations from a nearby pest control company, I called Critter Control for suspicious
bat droppings.
Madison came out the same day to do an inspection. She was knowledgeable, thorough, and highly professional. She examined the ‘matter’ that had been scattered on my threshold and thought it was foliage. But she then asked to go up to my attic space where the bats could be roosting. She had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with a heavy ladder. She again spent some time searching all the nooks and crannies and found nothing.
She seemed so interested in her craft, it was truly inspiring to see! She reassured me and is writing up a prevention strategy for my appraisal. She charged me NOTHING!! I am so impressed. We need more Madisons in this world!
Service:
Bat Removal
We noticed droppings on our brand new deck - we were given their number from our contractor. They came the next day. Brian looked at it and said - yeah, bats!! He then checked every area in our attic and he explained exactly what needed to be done.
He found evidence of a mice infestation, provided a referral and they are helping us as well. Great service, very informative, very professional! We are very satisfied and would recommend them to anyone who has any issues with any critters!
Quicklinks