The little mouse poses a big threat: it is not just a "cross-street mouse", but also an invisible killer to health!

The saying "When a mouse crosses the street, everyone cries out to kill it" has been circulating for a long time, but many people's understanding of the harm caused by rodents still remains at the level of "stealing food." In fact, as the "head of the four pests," rodents (including common species such as house mice and brown rats) pose a threat far beyond your imagination. They not only damage property but can also cause fires and spread deadly diseases, becoming invisible killers to our health and safety.

I. Rodents: Not Just Annoying "Thieves" In both urban and rural areas, rodents are one of the most common pests. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 200 species of rodents coexisting with humans globally, among which the house mouse (Mus musculus), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and black rat (Rattus rooftop) are the three species most commonly invading human living environments.

The brown rat measures 15-28 centimeters in length and weighs 140-500 grams. It prefers to build nests in damp and dark places such as basements and sewers. On the other hand, the house mouse is smaller, measuring only 6-10 centimeters, and is more adept at climbing, often active in the upper floors of houses. These seemingly unremarkable small animals possess astonishing survival abilities - they require about 10 grams of food per day, but can contaminate food equivalent to 10 times their consumption. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, wearing down 1-2 millimeters per week, which is why they love biting hard objects.

II. Three Major Invisible Threats: Far More Than Just Property Damage 1. Fire Hazards: The Neglected "Arsonist" In 2023, data released by the National Fire and Rescue Administration showed that approximately 8% of residential fires in China were caused by rodents gnawing on electrical wires. Rodents have very sharp incisors, and in order to sharpen their teeth, they constantly gnaw on hard objects, including the insulation of electrical wires. Once the wires are exposed and short-circuited, it is extremely easy to cause a fire, and due to the covert nature of rodent activities, this hazard is often difficult to detect before an incident occurs.

I once interviewed a firefighter friend who shared a real-life case: a fire broke out in an old residential area overnight. Investigation revealed that a mouse had bitten through the wire at the back of the refrigerator, causing a short circuit. What's even more frightening is that such fires often occur late at night when residents are asleep, making escape more difficult.

2. Disease transmission: More dangerous than imagined Rodents are natural hosts and vectors of various serious diseases, and their harm far exceeds the general public's understanding:

Pestis: Caused by Yersinia pestis, it has historically led to the "Black Death" pandemic, with an extremely high fatality rate. Although modern medicine has effectively controlled it, according to World Health Organization data, there are still about 2,000 cases of pestis reported globally each year. Leptospirosis: Transmitted through contaminated water or soil by rat urine, it presents symptoms similar to the flu but may progress to jaundice and renal failure. Epidemic hemorrhagic fever: Caused by hantavirus, it can lead to high fever, bleeding, and renal failure. Salmonellosis: Spread through contaminated food, causing severe gastroenteritis. What is more concerning is that dried rodent feces can form aerosols, which can be inhaled and cause infection during cleaning. This mode of transmission is more covert and dangerous.

3. Economic losses: silent "wealth destroyers" According to estimates by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rodents cause direct economic losses of over 10 billion yuan to China each year. This includes:

Biting and damaging furniture, clothing, books, and other personal belongings, disrupting building structures, such as gnawing through walls, contaminating food on the floor, leading to food safety issues, damaging electronic equipment and communication facilities. 3. Scientific Prevention and Control: Say Goodbye to "Whack-a-Mole" Rodent Control. When faced with rodent infestations, simply placing traps or using poison bait often only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. True prevention and control requires systematic thinking:

1. Environmental governance: Eliminate the survival basis of rodents and block entrances: Inspect cracks in houses and use steel wool, cement, etc. to block holes with a diameter of 6 millimeters or larger (house mice can pass through 6-millimeter holes). Food management: Seal food and keep it in sealed containers, cover garbage cans, and do not leave food overnight. Environmental sanitation: Regularly clean up debris, reduce hiding places for rodents, and pay special attention to kitchens and storage rooms. 2. Physical prevention: Safe and effective preferred rat traps: Choose standard rat traps and sticky rat boards, and place them in rat tunnels (walls, corners). Rat prevention facilities: Install metal mesh covers at pipe entrances and add rat-proof strips to door seals. 3. Chemical prevention: Use with caution. If rat poison is needed, choose anticoagulants approved by the state. Set up warning signs at the feeding points to avoid accidental ingestion by children and pets. Timely bury or incinerate the dead rats, and take personal protective measures. 4. Community co-governance: Rodent prevention and control requires participation from all citizens. Rodent prevention and control should not be an individual act. The community should establish a regular inspection mechanism, focusing on:

In areas with high rodent populations such as sewers and garbage stations in public areas, seasonal rodent eradication activities are organized. After implementing the "Rodent Prevention Demonstration Community" project in a community in Chaoyang District, Beijing, the complaint rate of rodent infestation has decreased by 76% through a three-pronged approach of environmental remediation, professional prevention and control, and resident education. This is worth learning from.

Conclusion: Although rodents are small, they pose a huge threat. They are not only the disgusting "cross-street rats", but also a hidden danger to our health and safety. To prevent and control rodent infestations, we must abandon the mindset of "if it's not serious, don't deal with it" and adopt scientific and systematic measures to reduce the living space of rodents from the source.

As the ancients said, "Prevent small problems before they become big ones." Neglecting rodent infestation may lead to irreparable losses. Let's start today by taking every possible sign of rodents in our homes seriously, and build the first line of defense for the health and safety of ourselves and our families.

Tips: After discovering signs of rodents, do not put out large quantities of rat poison on your own. It is recommended to contact a professional disinfection and sterilization agency and take scientific prevention and control measures to avoid rodents spreading to other areas due to drug stimulation.