Ever see those old cartoons where the elephant squeals and runs away over a little mouse? Have you actually done the same when you have spotted one in your kitchen cupboard? If so, you know the reasoning behind musophobia – the fear of mice and other rodents. Hey, there are good reasons why homeowners fear mice – rodents do carry diseases and do destroy property after all.

Here are the most common reasons rodents are so detested.

Disease

According to the CDC, rats and mice spread many diseases worldwide, either to people directly (through the handling of rodents), through contact with rodent urine, feces, or saliva (contaminated food products); or through rodent bites. In addition, rodents carry ticks, fleas and mites that are also vectors of disease. You can’t tell if a rodent has an illness just by looking at it.

Here are some of the diseases that rodents carry and spread:

• Hantavirus
• Leptospirosis
• Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
• Lassa fever
• Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis
• Plague
• Rat-Bite Fever
• Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
• Salmonellosis
• •South American Arenaviruses
• Argentine hemorrhagic fever
• Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever
• Bolivian hemorrhagic fever
• Sabiá-associated hemorrhagic fever
• Tularemia

Destruction of Property

There are many other reasons why people fear mice that aren’t logical but real to them nonetheless. Often, these are learned experience, such as those who have gone through a traumatic experience in childhood and carry that fear into adulthood.

The most common symptoms of musophobia include:

• Screaming
• Sweating profusely
• Crying
• Climbing up to get away
• Attempting to flee
• Accelerated heart rate
• Shaking and trembling
• Rapid breathing or gasping
• Nausea, vomiting and other forms of gastrointestinal distress
• Panic attacks

A Rational Response to Rodents

Whether your fear of rodents is logical or irrational, it’s important to face the situation with a rational solution, and that is to remove them from your house as soon as possible. You should call a Nashville exterminator for treatment, but there are other things you can do to keep those rodents out of your home.

• Seal all foods (including grass seed and pet foods)
• Set your trash cans on six-inch risers
• Remove fallen fruit in your yard
• Fill any holes in your home’s exterior
• Wipe up spills and crumbs immediately

Of course, the best way to eliminate or prevent a rodent problem in your home is to contract with a professional pest control company.

Contact PureGuard Pest Control

We have many years of experience eradicating rodents from Nashville homes. Just call us at 615-502-2855 for an inspection and free quote on mice & rodant treatment