There are few creatures as menacing as rodents when it comes to having an infestation in your home or business. From houses and offices to restaurants and hospitals, rodents can be found anywhere there’s an available source of food and shelter.
Mice and rats enter homes and buildings looking for shelter and food, while voles, gophers, and other burrowing rodents primarily affect yards. Mice and rats are particularly problematic because they contaminate food, cause damage to structures, and spread diseases.
Whether you’ve spotted a single rodent or an entire family, it’s important to treat the problem right away in order to prevent property damage or illness. Rodents have large front teeth which they use to gnaw and chew on things – and they’ll chew on anything – causing significant property damage in a short period of time.
There are more than 1,500 species of rodents worldwide, with the most common species of rodents in South Carolina being the black rat, deer mouse, house mouse, and Norway rat.
Why Do I Have a Rodent Problem?
Mice and rats are quite acrobatic and can enter through spaces as small as half an inch. They are skilled at climbing, running, jumping, and digging, meaning that they can go almost anywhere they want to. Because a rodent’s survival instinct causes them to seek food and shelter, the key to keeping rodents out of a home or building is to ensure they can’t find either.
Are Rodents Dangerous?
Rodents can carry a myriad of diseases, including tularemia, salmonellosis, and hantavirus. You don’t have to get bitten by a rodent to experience these diseases, since food contamination (via urine or feces) is the primary way many of these illnesses are transmitted.
Rodents also bring disease-carrying insects with them, such as fleas and ticks, making prompt treatment all the more important. On top of that, the damage a rodent can cause to the wiring, structure, and other parts of a building can make for a potentially deadly situation if unnoticed.
What Sort of Problems Do Rodents Cause?
Rodents, especially mice and rats, can cause serious damage. They’re genetically programmed to gnaw, and they aren’t picky about what they gnaw on – wood, sheet rock, electrical wires, and insulation are all fair game. This behavior can cause structural issues for houses and buildings, as well as electrical shorts and fires. They might also bite you if you get too close and they’re feeling particularly threatened. Burrowing rodents destroy gardens, lawns, and irrigation systems, leading to costly repairs.
How Worried Should I Be About Rodents?
You should be pretty concerned about a rodent problem in your home or business, as an infestation can lead to severe issues in terms of both health and property damage. Rodent urine and feces can contaminate food and cause illness, and the fleas, ticks, and mites that travel on them can cause skin and breathing problems for humans. Chewed wires can cause electrical fires and costly repairs, while burrowing rodents can cause irrigation problems and erosion around your home or business.
Where Do You Find Rodents?
You can find rodents all over the world – aside from Antarctica, New Zealand, and some ocean islands. Rodents aren’t too picky about their habitat either, and can be found in rainforests, deserts, swamps, forests, and grasslands. Rodents need food and shelter in order to survive, and large urban environments make excellent habitats for them to survive and thrive – though you’ll find rodents even in rural areas.
How Do I Get Rid of Rodents?
Getting rid of rodents can be incredibly challenging, as many species breed at an alarming rate. For example, a house mouse can have a litter of six mice every month – and those babies will reach sexual maturity in only a month or two. Left unchecked, a rodent infestation can get out of control quite quickly.
Additionally, the type of infestation you’re dealing with will require different treatments. Getting rid of mice and rats will require a different approach than getting rid of burrowing rodents. An experienced pest control specialist will evaluate your property and provide you with the best solution for eliminating your rodent problem. You can set traps or baits yourself, but they might not be fully effective.
On top of a professional treatment plan, you may also need to put in place a sanitation program, strategic landscaping, and remove any points of entry to your home or property.
How Do I Prevent Rodents From Coming Back?
While some areas are more prone to rodents than others, there are several things you can do to make your home or building less inviting to rodents.
- Seal all holes and cracks, including vents and drains entering your home or business.
- Install weatherstripping and door sweeps.
- Don’t leave food – including pet food or bird seed – outdoors.
- Clean regularly to avoid crumbs.
- Cut all grass and weeds from around your property.
- Remove clutter, construction debris, and garbage piles as wood piles and garbage are common nesting sites.
- If you see droppings and suspect you have a rodent problem, contact us for help.
At Putman Pest Management, we know rodents. We know how to identify them and we know how best to treat an infestation. We also know how to prevent rodents from coming back. Even if you’re not sure what type of rodent you’re dealing with, we can help. Explore our pest library to learn how to identify the most common pests, what attracts them to your property, and how to keep them out. From common house bugs to tiny pests and crawling insects, our pest control services keep your home or office pest-free. Simple and safe, our treatments offer convenient protection that will treat and prevent rodents. Contact us today for your free estimate.
