Good Lifestyle

In an ideal world, kitchens are places for making delicious family meals come together, hastily assembling midnight snacks, and preparing work-from-home lunches and breakfasts. Unfortunately, the same food that keeps you and your loved ones well fed is also a significant draw for pests. Some basic preparedness can make it less likely that the unwanted rodents will begin turning your pantry into their personal buffet. But according to experts, you should always be on the lookout for one sign that there are mice in your kitchen. Read on to see what's an indicator that pests are scurrying about your home's culinary workspace.

Baca ini selanjutnya:7 Cleaning Habits That Attract Mice.

Most people realize that an essential part of keeping mice out of your home involves keeping your space nice and tidy. Typically, this means getting rid of clutter and depriving them of a reliable food and water source that will keep them coming back. But according to experts, you should also take time to make sure you're not creating an easy opportunity for rodents to make their way into your kitchen.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"If you are trying to keep rodents out it's really important to make sure you cover any holes or gaps that lead outside, including along windows or doors, attic vents, around holes for plumbing, electrics cables, gas lines, or vents for your laundry," Maria Richmond dariRansford Pest Control tells Hidup terbaik.

"Mice can squeeze through holes as small as a quarter of an inch, so if you find any openings, fill them with steel wool—which rodents can't chew through—and caulk," she adds. "Large holes can be filled with lath screen, metal sheeting, hardware cloth, or cement."

As silent, quick creatures, mice can sometimes be difficult to spot when they first make their way into your home. But according to experts, you can often tell they're there by something they leave behind with each trip they take through the kitchen.

"The number one sign of mice in your kitchen will be their waste," Anne-Marie Tulp dariAdam's Pest Control in Port St. Lucie, Florida, tells Hidup terbaik. "For small creatures, mice produce a significant amount of droppings and urine. Their droppings are black, typically oval-shaped, and about the size of a grain of rice," adding that they can often be found "anywhere from on your kitchen counter, to along baseboards, to in the back of your cabinets."

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Not surprisingly, while it might tip you off to the early signs of an infestation, mice excrement also poses a serious health risk. "Many rodents common to North America can, unfortunately, be carriers of Hantaviruses which can Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)," David Floyd, penemu dariThePestInformer, tells Hidup terbaik. "HPS transmission from rodents is caused by improperly disposing of or handling rodent urine and droppings. Once these are stirred up, they can form airborne particles which can transfer the virus," who adds that the potentially deadly infection can cause symptoms such as fever, severe muscle aches, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.

Because of the increased risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests putting on a protective face mask and gloves before cleaning up any signs of mouse droppings or urine and advises opening windows and increasing ventilation 30 minutes before you go to remove any waste. Then, spray any contaminated surfaces with a one-to-ten bleach and water mixture or a household disinfectant and let it stand for at least five minutes or for as long as prescribed on the cleaning product's label.

The agency advises using paper towels to remove the mess before immediately throwing them away. From there, it's best to disinfect surfaces one extra time and perform a thorough cleaning of your kitchen, including mopping floors and disinfecting all countertops.

But it's not just droppings that can be a dead giveaway that there are mice in your kitchen. According to experts, keeping your eyes peeled for other subtle pieces of evidence can also tip you off.

"Anda mungkin juga akan memperhatikan tanda kunyah tentang kemasan di dapur Anda atau pada buku, kain, tanaman, dan barang -barang lunak lainnya, yang mereka gunakan sebagai bahan bersarang," kata Richmond. "Dalam banyak kasus, Anda juga dapat mendengar mereka bergegas di dalam dinding atau di sepanjang lantai."

Dan dalam beberapa kasus, bahkan mungkin milik Anda hidung yang pertama kali diberitahukan Hewan pengerat ada di area memasak Anda. "Kehadiran tikus dapat mengeluarkan bau seperti amonia, yang merupakan bau urin yang sangat kuat. Ini akan sangat jelas di daerah yang lebih tertutup seperti di lemari atau oven," Nancy Troyano , PhD, seorang ahli entomologi bersertifikat dewan dengan Kontrol Hama Ehrlich , memberi tahu Hidup terbaik .

Baca ini selanjutnya: Anda mengundang tikus ke rumah Anda jika Anda memilikinya di halaman Anda .