Insights, Tips, and Tales

Protect Your Home from Rodents and Hantavirus

White mosquito silhouette with a dashed curved flight path on a green background

Protect Your Home from Rodents and Hantavirus

The recent passing of Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman, due to Hantavirus has raised awareness of rodent-borne diseases. While contracting Hantavirus is rare, it’s essential to take precautions against mice in your home.

Why Are Rodents a Problem?

Each year, 21 million U.S. homes experience rodent intrusions, especially in colder months. Mice and rats seek warmth, food, and shelter—putting your home at risk of infestation.

Hantavirus: A Rare but Serious Risk

Hantavirus spreads through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva and can cause severe respiratory illness. There are certain kinds of mouse and rats that can spread the hantavirus, and four of the common culprits are found in the Southeast: the deer mouse, rice rat, cotton rat, and white footed mouse. Again, contracting the hantavirus is quite rare, but proper precautions must be made when handling rodent-contaminated areas.

Prevention is Key

The best way to protect yourself and your family from HPS (as well as other rodent-borne diseases) is by keeping wild mice and rats out of your home. Maintain inside areas by checking for entry points, like gaps and hold, as well as cleaning and sealing up food (this includes pet food!). However, if you spot rodent droppings, it is vital that you clean it up SAFELY…

Safe Cleanup is Crucial!

If you find rodent droppings:

  1. Always wear rubber or plastic gloves and a mask.
  2. Spray urine and droppings with disinfectant until very wet. Let it soak for 5 minutes,
  3. Use paper towels to wipe up the urine or droppings.
  4. Throw soiled paper towels in the garbage.
  5. Mop or sponge area with disinfectant
  6. Wash gloved hands with soap and water, or disinfectant, before taking gloves off.
  7. Wash hands with soap and warm water after removing the gloves.

For more info, check out the CDC’s Hantavirus brochure.

Take Action Today

Did you know Waynes Our SMART digital technology detects rodent activity early, and our Home Shield Exclusion System seals entry points to keep mice out? Don’t let a small rodent issue turn into an infestation. Contact us for expert rodent control and keep your home safe year-round.

Rebecca Wood

Waynes has been serving customers since 1973. We have grown over the decades through a commitment to providing a world-class experience for our customers. We believe that if our employees are happy and fulfilled, they will go above and beyond in delighting our customers.

Latest from Waynes Blog

Pale clothes moth resting on a cream knitted sweater, showing frayed wing edges and nearby fabric fibers

Moths in the Closet Appear Right as You Unpack Fall Clothes

You pull a sweater from storage, shake it out, and notice several small holes near the cuff. A pale moth flutters from the box, and fine webbing clings to a fold near the collar. It may look like the problem appeared with the change of season, but the damage often began months earlier. Clothes moths…

Learn More >

Large black wasp drinking from a small puddle on a rough, weathered surface

The Big Black Wasp in Your Yard Looks Scarier Than It Acts

A large black wasp buzzing through your yard is enough to make most homeowners stop in their tracks. With its shiny black body, long legs, and loud flight, it’s easy to assume the insect is aggressive or preparing to sting. Across Alabama and Tennessee, it’s common for people to mistake these wasps for hornets or…

Learn More >

Person on bed scratching red, irritated welts on forearm and upper arms consistent with bed bug bites

Bed Bug Bites Often Come Home From Dorms and Fall Travel

College move-in season, football weekends, fall vacations, and holiday travel all have something in common. They increase the chances of bringing home more than luggage and souvenirs. Because bed bugs are expert hitchhikers, they can travel unnoticed on backpacks, suitcases, clothing, and bedding. For many families, the first indication of a problem is discovering bed…

Learn More >

Small gray mouse peeking from a gap between wooden boards inside a house

Field Mice Head for Your Walls When Nights Cool Off

The first cool nights of fall bring welcome relief after a long summer, but they also mark the beginning of one of the busiest seasons for rodents. As temperatures begin to drop and food becomes harder to find outdoors, field mice start looking for places that offer warmth, shelter, and easy access to food. For…

Learn More >

house cricket

A House Cricket Chirping Indoors Means Fall Has Officially Arrived

You expect to hear crickets outside on a warm evening, not from behind the sofa or beneath a kitchen appliance. Yet a house cricket chirping indoors is often one of the first signs that fall weather has reached your area. As nights become cooler, crickets leave exposed outdoor spaces and look for warmth, shelter, and…

Learn More >

Pale white cockroach clinging to a textured interior wall, dorsal view showing body segments and long antennae

A White Cockroach Means Roaches Are Growing Inside Your Home

Finding a white cockroach inside your home can be unsettling. Most homeowners are familiar with the brown or tan appearance of common household cockroaches, so spotting one that is white or cream-colored often leads to questions. Some people assume they’ve discovered a rare species or an albino cockroach, but that’s not actually the case. A…

Learn More >

Camel cricket with long antennae on a textured basement floor

Camel Crickets Are Taking Over Tennessee Basements This Fall

As temperatures begin cooling across Tennessee, many homeowners start noticing unusual insects hopping across basement floors, crawl spaces, and storage rooms. Camel crickets, also called cave crickets or spider crickets, often appear during the fall because changing outdoor conditions encourage them to seek sheltered places with steady moisture.  Their large hind legs and humpbacked appearance…

Learn More >

Two cluster flies with red eyes mating on a leaf, close-up macro showing bodies, legs, and fine hairs

Cluster Flies Show Up in Fall and They Are Not Regular House Flies

When slow-moving flies begin collecting around upstairs windows in fall, you may assume they are regular house flies. In many homes, they are cluster flies, a seasonal pest that enters buildings for shelter rather than food. Cluster flies often settle in attics, wall voids, and other protected spaces as outdoor temperatures cool. They may stay…

Learn More >

german yellowjacket

A Yellow Jacket Sting Hurts Worse in Fall for a Real Reason

As summer gives way to fall, many homeowners across Alabama and Tennessee notice something unusual. Yellow jackets seem to appear everywhere. They hover around outdoor meals, gather near garbage cans, and become unwelcome guests at football tailgates, backyard barbecues, and family gatherings. If you’ve ever been stung during this time of year, you may have…

Learn More >

Scroll to Top