Musophobia affects millions of Americans and many are unaware of what this phobia is or if they have it. Could you have this phobia and not even know? We guess you need to know what it is before you can determine if you are impacted. So, what is musophobia and do you suffer from it?
What is a phobia?
Before we review musophobia and help you determine if you are impacted, we thought it would be a good idea to first review what a phobia actually is.
A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. People with a phobia, may experience a deep sense of dread or panic when they encounter the source of their fear. Unlike general anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something specific.
The impact of a phobia can range from irritating, to severely disabling. People with phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but they’re unable to do anything about it. Such fears can interfere with a person’s daily life. An estimated 19 million Americans have a phobia that causes difficulty in some area of their lives.
What is musophobia?
Musophobia is a very common phobia. It is the fear of mice or rats. The word originates from Latin “Mus” which means mice and Greek “phobos” which means deep fear or dread. Many people suffering from musophobia have had a traumatic experience with mice or rats that results in heightened anxiety, fear, and dread surrounding the rodents.
What causes people to fear mice and other rodents?
While there is no specific reason why a person may fear mice and other rodents, musophobia affects many people for many different reasons. Let’s review a few.
- Mice and Other Rodents Carry Diseases. Mice and other rodents are prone to carrying diseases. According to the CDC, rodents are known to spread more than 25 diseases and they can be spread to humans directly through handling of live or deceased rodents, contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, as well as rodent bites. They can also be spread indirectly through insects that have fed on an infected rodent.
- Traumatic Past Experience. Musophobia could be triggered from a frightening past experience. Maybe a person was surprised by a mouse or rodent in the past, or even bitten by one. Since these rodents tend to hide in cracks and crevices, they might spring on unsuspecting people and startle them. Regardless what the past experience was, seeing these rodents can trigger the fear.
- You are a Female. It might sound strange but this phobia is more common in women and studies point to the reason. Scientists have discovered that mice smell male and female pheromones and actually withdraw or run from the presence of a man because men stress them out. Comparatively, in the presence of a woman, mice are bolder and less afraid. This results in more traumatic experiences with women, perpetuating the fear more among females.
There are many reasons why a person may have a phobia, and when it comes to musophobia, we have only reviewed a few. The symptoms of musophobia vary depending on the extent of fear the phobic experiences.
Don’t allow your fear of mice or other rodents to get the best of you. If you’ve seen droppings or other signs of these unwanted guests in your home or business, contact a local pest and rodent control company to help.
At Delving Pest Control we offer a range of discreet home rodent removal services to help you achieve the results you’re after. Not sure what you need, or what it costs? Call us and we can come out and we can explain what rodent remediation services are right for you and tell you more about our costs for services.
