Eek! There Are Rodents in My Home! How to Take Action Before They Take Up Residence in Your Residence.
Why You Need to Evict Unwanted Rodent House Guests
Why You Need to Evict Unwanted Rodent House Guests
Nobody likes uninvited guests—especially the furry, four-legged kind that sneak around in the night, nibbling on food, chewing on wires, and leaving unpleasant little surprises behind. Yes, we’re talking about rodents! Whether you’re at home or running a business, these troublesome creatures can affect health and leave destruction in their wake.
Some 40% of all mammals are rodents. With Rodent Awareness Week coming up from Oct. 20 to 26, now is the perfect time to brush up on your rodent knowledge. Rodent Awareness Week serves as an annual reminder to check for rodent signs and make sure you protect your home or business before winter—their favorite season to sneak indoors.
Why Rodents Are the Worst (and Why You Need to Act Fast)
Rodents are more than just a nuisance. They’re tiny demolition experts, chewing through insulation, wires, pipes, and pretty much anything they can sink their teeth into. Rats and mice can also spread viral and bacterial diseases like salmonella, hantavirus, and leptospirosis to humans and pets through:
- Handling
- Contact with droppings, urine or saliva
- Bites and scratches
- Indirectly via ticks, mites, fleas, and mosquitoes
Urine and droppings can also trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks in sensitive individuals.
For businesses, especially those in food-related industries, a rodent infestation can tarnish your reputation and even lead to regulatory fines. Their natural behaviors—gnawing, burrowing, and nesting—damage not just structures but also electrical wiring, which can lead to fire hazards.
Rodent Behavior: Why They’re Hard to Spot and Easy to Multiply
Rodents are masters of survival. Highly adaptive, they can thrive in a variety of environments, from urban to rural settings. They are nocturnal creatures, which means they come out primarily at night, and since most of us are sleeping then, we may not be aware of their midnight forays around the house.
They are excellent climbers and can get their bodies through openings as small as a quarter of an inch. That’s the thickness of a pencil or the diameter of a drinking straw. It’s a tiny space, which helps illustrate how easily a rodent can squeeze through small openings like gaps under doors, cracks in walls, or holes in window screens. Because they can get through such tiny “doors” in buildings, mice can find food, water, and warmth in hidden or hard-to-reach areas of your home or business.
Rodents also possess strong social hierarchies and can communicate with each other through scent trails and ultrasonic sounds. When one finds food or shelter, others follow. Their ability to reproduce rapidly means a small problem can become a full-blown infestation in a matter of weeks.
Rodent Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore
The first step in combatting rodents is knowing the signs of an infestation:
- Mini Poop Trails: Rodents leave droppings wherever they go. Look for tiny black pellets around your kitchen, pantry, or storage areas.
- Nibbles and Gnaw Marks: Rodents have oversized teeth and love nothing better than to chew. In fact, “rodent” comes from Latin, meaning “to gnaw.” If you notice fresh bite marks on food packages, furniture, or even electrical wires, you’ve got company.
- Mysterious Night Sounds: Hear scratching, scurrying, or squeaking at night? Chances are it’s nothing good – and it’s probably a rodent.
- Rodent Runways: Keep an eye out for greasy little marks or trails along your walls and baseboards. Rodents love sticking to their regular paths, and they leave behind evidence.
Quick Tips to Rodent-Proof Your Space (Because Prevention Is Key!)
- Store food in sealed containers. Rodents love a midnight snack, but don’t let it be from your pantry.
- Keep things clean. Sweeping up crumbs and wiping down counters goes a long way toward keeping away unwanted critters.
- Check for cracks, gaps, and small holes in walls, windows, and doors—rodents can squeeze through the smallest of spaces.
- Trim back trees and bushes near your home or building so rodents can’t use them as a highway to your roof.
Home vs. Business: Different Spaces, Same Rodent Problems
Whether it’s your cozy home or your bustling business, rodents don’t discriminate. But there are a few differences in how they cause trouble:
- Residential Properties: Homeowners often face rodent problems in attics, basements, and kitchens. If there are pets and children in your home, you must take special care in selecting safe control methods.
- Commercial Properties: Rodents can prevent your business from meeting local health and safety codes. In addition, a rodent infestation can result in food contamination, reputational damage, and even legal problems.
If you have a mouse or rat infestation, you can try to deal with it yourself, but you may only temporarily solve the problem. Call in professionals who have the tools and experience to take stock of your unique situation and recommend rodent control, removal, and prevention measures.
How Pest-End Combats Rodents
Our four-part approach to rodent removal helps us tailor the right solution for your home or business needs:
- Inspection - We start with a comprehensive search for every potential hiding spot and entry point.
- Identification – There are several different native New England species - we’ll identify your specific guests to choose the best control strategy for the job.
- Removal – We employ professional tools that include a mix of traps and innovative exclusion measures.
- Prevention – We will work with you to develop a prevention strategy to ensure the pests are gone and stay gone.
Trust Pest-End for Complete Rodent Solutions
According to the National Pest Management System, About one in 10 Americans had a rodent infestation in their home in 2022-23. Don’t let rodents take over your home or business. With Pest-End’s expert rodent control solutions, you’ll have peace of mind knowing we guarantee results. Whether you choose a regular, quarterly service or our ExclusionPro Home Systems, we have the solution that will work for you.
Contact us today for a free quote and let us help protect your home or business from unwanted pests.
