Rodents are more than just a nuisance; they pose serious health, safety, and financial risks. Learn how to recognize the signs of rodents in your home and take action to eliminate them.
Preventive measures include preventing moisture inside and around the house, regularly cleaning up debris and leaf piles, and sealing any potential entry points inside and outside your home. Natural repellents may also help. Contact Rodent Control Canton now!
Rats are the most common rodent pest in New York City. As nocturnal creatures, they are attracted to food scraps and crumbs left in kitchens, pet food, and water bowls that are not properly closed, open compost containers, and leaky faucets and pipes. They can also enter homes and buildings through holes larger than 1/2 inch, cracks in foundations, unscreened vents and gaps around doors and windows. They can climb and are known to gnaw on electrical wires, which can cause fires. Rats are carriers of serious diseases, including Salmonella, typhus and hemorrhagic fever.
The best rodent control method involves both traps and exclusion. Exclusion is the process of sealing sites that rats can use to gain entry into a structure, and includes installing screens and door sweeps, caulking gaps and cracks, and removing clogged drains, gutters, chimney caps and overflowing trash containers.
Using baits and poisons to kill rodents, while effective, can be harmful to children, pets, other animals, and the environment when used improperly. Traps are often ineffective, because they are not a permanent solution and do not address the underlying causes of the infestation. They may also create hazardous odors, as well as result in dead rodents inside hard-to-reach places.
A more long-term approach to reducing rat populations is ecologically based rodent management (EBRM). This unified strategy takes into account the population dynamics of target rodents, as well as their habitat, to develop strategies for their control. EBRM has been shown to be significantly more effective in controlling rodent populations than conventional treatments.
Look for signs of rat and mouse activity indoors and out, such as droppings, tracks and runways in dirt or gravel, gnaw marks on baseboards, walls and food containers and musty, ammonia-like odors that are characteristic of rodent urine. Rats can squeeze through openings the size of a dime, so be sure to inspect all areas where they could potentially enter. Trimming shrubbery and trees and avoiding tall grass can help reduce their nesting options, and it is important to keep a 2-foot-wide buffer of vegetation away from structures to discourage rodents.
Mice
Mice are nocturnal rodents that love to make their homes in buildings and structures where they can easily get food and shelter. As they are very fast breeders, their numbers may quickly get out of hand. Mice can chew through just about anything, including wood, plastic, aluminum, copper and drywall. They often chew electrical wires, which can cause fires and create a serious hazard to the safety of people and pets. They are also known to spread disease by contaminating food and spreading germs through bite wounds and urine.
Effective mouse control involves sanitation, mice proof construction and population reduction. Prevention measures include placing tight-fitting screens over ventilation grates, keeping bushes and vines away from the exterior of structures, sealing cracks around doors, windows, air conditioners and other openings. Mice are able to squeeze through gaps the size of a dime, so checking regularly for small holes and crevices is important.
Signs of a mice infestation may be droppings, tracks and runways, as well as gnaw marks and holes in walls, especially around pipes or inside cabinets. Droppings are the most common indicator of a rodent problem, and the number and shape of them will indicate the type of rodent (house or Norway rat). You can also check for greasy, dark streaks that run along baseboards and walls where rats and mice have been tracking.
Look for signs of nesting: a collection of paper scraps, hair, shredded fabric and other debris behind a cabinet or other object is a telltale sign that mice are living there. Mice and rats mark their territory with urine, so any mysterious liquid or stains in the corner of a room are an indication of a possible mouse or rat problem.
Like other rodents, mice can be controlled with traps and poison bait stations. Traps should be placed no more than 10 feet apart, and baited traps should be checked and reset often. They are most effective when used as a preventive measure, placed in areas where mice frequently travel such as ledges and on pallets of stored materials. Another useful method is glue boards, which catch mice attempting to cross them in the same way flypaper catches flies.
Squirrels
Squirrels bring hours of pleasure to wildlife watchers, but when they enter homes or businesses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, they can wreak havoc, chewing through wood soffits, insulation, and electrical wires. They contaminate water supplies with their feces and urine, leave uneaten food to rot and spread diseases that can harm humans. They also gnaw on wood and plastic, which can lead to costly repairs.
Pest management professionals need to know how to handle squirrels, especially in the attic. Using traps is the best way to get rid of these rodents without killing them, and there are several options. Use strong-smelling bait, such as peanut butter, bacon, cheese, dried fruit, and other tasty treats. Make sure to check and empty traps frequently.
To keep squirrels away from structures, inspect sills, eaves, vents, gutter downspouts, siding, and roof areas twice a year for entry points. Seal larger openings with caulk and fill smaller holes with fine steel wool or small-mesh hardware cloth.
In addition, remove brush and other shady cover near the structure. This will reduce the shelter squirrels provide their young, and it will be easier to spot and block access routes.
If your clients have a problem with squirrels, they should try to lure them out by making the environment less attractive and blocking their access points. Observe the behavior of the squirrels to learn what works and doesn’t. Look for signs such as running, barking, chewing, chirping, scratching, and squeaking.
If the deterrents don’t work, it may be time to resort to trapping. Squirrels can be difficult to catch, because they are quick and agile and have keen senses of sight and smell. But a little preparation and persistence can help you and your clients achieve success. When trapping squirrels, be careful not to crush them. If a squirrel gets caught in the trap, double up a towel and gently wrap it around the animal to protect its head as you transport it to an appropriate release point. You should also wear gloves to prevent skin irritation.
Other Rodents
Rodents have sharp teeth that constantly grow and can damage anything they touch. They cause a host of issues around homes and businesses, including chewed wires that can lead to house fires. They also spread diseases and create unsanitary conditions. Rodents are most active at night and hide during the day. Typical signs of rodent activity include droppings, pilfered food, gnaw marks and grease marks (from rats) along travel ways, entrance points, walls and corners.
Rodents carry several diseases that can affect human health. Some can be spread through direct contact with rodent feces, urine or saliva. Others can be spread through contaminated food or water. Some diseases can even be transmitted indirectly by ticks, mites and fleas that feed on infected rodents and then bite humans.
Long-term rodent control typically requires a combination of sanitation, exclusion and, when necessary, traps or baits. Orkin professionals use a systematic approach that begins with inspection and identification of the rodent problem, followed by a careful assessment of the need for control. Then, the most effective and safest method is chosen.
A properly implemented and integrated pest management program (IPM) can provide long-term rodent control. Orkin professionals may recommend sealing cracks and openings, removing clogged gutters, disposing of trash in sealed containers, reducing clutter inside and outside the home and planting deterrent plants like mint, eucalyptus and wormwood.
The most common rodents found in urban areas are Norway rats and house mice. These species can breed exceptionally quickly and must be controlled to prevent widespread problems.
In addition to causing serious structural damage, rodents can carry disease-causing bacteria and parasites. They can also transmit diseases to people through bite wounds, contaminated food or water, and through indirect contact with ticks, mites or fleas that have fed on infected rodents. Some diseases carried by rodents include rat-bite fever, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Other illnesses that can be spread to humans from rodents include Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever and Chapare hemorrhagic fever. Many of these diseases can be fatal if not treated promptly and appropriately.
