Hantavirus...there's a mouse in my house!

[AllyandJack]

I'm a moron, I know. I live in the middle of the country...I should expect a critter or two to appear in my garage/basement. I have three cats. They killed one about 2 months ago and, ever since then I've been obsessed with it. I looked everything up online and found that some mice that live in the country can carry hantavirus. Last night, the cats got another one! It seems to have been fairly new because about 2 weeks ago, we cleaned the garage and there have been no new droppings sighted. So, now I go to the CDC website and read that sweeping the droppings can expose you to hantavirus! I'm worried about my cats and, of course, us. There has never been a case of the virus in NH, but there was one in VT. Now, I have a sore throat and aches...but, my husband had a cold last week with the same symptoms!

First off....how do I stop these creatures from getting into the garage? The two that tried to venture past the garage met an ugly fate by my three cats. I don't want anything that carries a disease in the garage! Second....am I crazy to jump to hantavirus as a possibility?? The chances are slim and none, but someone in NH has to be "the first" so why not us?? One mouse was gray and one was brown....a deer mouse, I think! I don't know! I sent a request to Terminix to call me to set up an appointment and they just ignored me (great customer service, Terminix!!). Has anyone else every had gray or brown mice from the woods use their garage as shelter?? HELP!!!!!

 

[NMAmy]

First off--don't panic. I think it's highly unlikely you've been exposed to hanta virus. I lived in New Mexico during the height of this (and had a friend who nearly died from it) but there are things you can do. When cleaning somewhere that you suspect has had mice in it, wear a mask and rubber gloves. Clean with bleach. From what I remember, urine can contain the virus so you may not be able to see where it was. Mop it out with bleach and throw the mop head away.

Calling an exterminator should help--I had a bad experience with Terminix recently so you might find someone local. They can give you more recommendations. You might also try to find out where they're getting in and plug up any holes. They can get through teeny, tiny little holes.

Frankly, I am totally freaked out by mice. I can take spiders (tarantulas), bugs and scorpions, snakes--but I freak out with a mouse.

Eewww...

 

[EsmeraldaX]

You are almost certainly not going to get hantavirus. Your chances of getting hit by lightning and a bus BOTH in the same day are greater than your chances of getting hantavirus.

You probably have a cold that is being made worse because you are worried.

Second, if you have a serious mouse problem, I agree calling an exterminator is a good thing.

We have mice and bats in our house all the time. I personally don't mind either of them, I think they are cute. The bats eat the bugs and our yard has few mosquitoes so I'm actually kind of glad.

 

[AllyandJack]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure I just have a cold....I HOPE!

You know what the best part of these Boards is? I did a search for threads that discussed having mice and it really set my mind at ease. I'm thinking all these horrible things, like is the house not clean enough, are people going to think I'm dirty? But, now I see that mice are a fact of life. I'm not infested - although one of the little buggers managed to get up into the insulation in my basement and chew through the water line of my air conditioner! I'm sure if there were more the cats would notice. But, it's good to know that other people have mice and that they're really not a big deal (or a reason to sell the house!).

Thank you, all!! I still want them gone, but at least I know there is nothing wrong with me.

 

[CEDmom]

If you can find how they're coming in (usually tiny cracks and/or holes) stuff the cracks/holes with steel wool and seal with duck tape.