Rodents are things of nightmares - disease-ridden creatures procreating quickly, chewing incessantly, and defecating throughout your Davenport home. Can rodents harm my family? Absolutely.
Rodents are abundant all over the world. Some rodent species depend on humans for survival. These rodent species are adept intruders. They invade through the smallest of entry points and plan to stay for the foreseeable future. In addition, they carry pathogens that disseminate diseases to humans. In short, you want them out of your home.
Mice And Rats In Your Davenport Home
Mice and rats are the most common invading rodents. These pests overlap in some ways and diverge in others. Firstly, mice are significantly smaller. They range from 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches long. By contrast, rats are 6 to 8 inches long, with considerably longer snouts. Unlike a rat, a mouse has a hairy tail.
Still, the two types of rodents overlap in appearance and behavior. Though the rat is much bigger, mice and rats have similar body compositions. The rat is simply a larger version of the mouse. Both species also possess similar proclivities, such as infesting human food, leaving smear marks on walls, and even inflicting structural damage.
Diseases That Rodents Spread
Rats and mice spread diseases through their saliva. They don’t carry diseases. Rather, they carry the pathogens that cause diseases. Overall, rats and mice spread over 35 diseases such as salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, murine typhus, infectious jaundice, hantavirus, and others.
How Rodents Will Damage Your Davenport Home
Rodents destroy materials to create nests, such as paper, cotton, insulation, and other soft materials. They borrow through insulation, utilizing the soft material for nests. Rodents often gnaw on wires and ruin electrical appliances. This incessant chewing could result in an electrical fire. Larger infestations can even inflict structural damage on your home owing to the many rodents in between walls and ceilings.
What Attracts Rodents To Your Home?
Like all pests, rodents typically invade homes for food, water, and shelter. Rats and mice are not picky pests. They’ll eat just about anything you leave out. However, contrary to popular belief, rodents aren’t the cheese addicts we perceive them to be. They prefer chocolate, peanut butter, and grease. Rodents aren’t just drawn to the food in your home, though. If you’re in the habit of forgetting trash day, rodents will exploit your neglected trash. Not only do trash bins provide them with food, but they also provide rodents some degree of shelter. Once they gnaw on a sufficient portion of your trash, rodents will attempt to invade your home. A dilapidated home with more entry points—holes, cracks, and crevices— offers greater appeal. Invasion requires little effort. But, if easy access is a crucial selling point, a messy home prolongs their stay. Rodents adore cluttered homes. Like most pests, they hide beneath clutter.
How To Prevent Rodents
Your knowledge of rodent attractors will now benefit you in prevention. Along with a professional, you can develop a plan to stymie rodents from entering your home. Here are a few tips to prevent a rodent infestation:
Seal any cracks, crevices, and holes.
Declutter your home. Rodents tend to hide beneath your clutter.
Routinely take out the trash. Rodents can subsist on old garbage.
Mow your grass. Untrimmed lawns are inviting to mice and rats. High grass allows rodents to conceal themselves.
Call Quik-Kill!
Rodents are destructive pests. They infest food, destroy insulation, cause structural damage, and spread diseases. They require proactive pest management. If you are experiencing a rodent infestation, we encourage you to call the experts. Though you likely will set traps and catch a few rodent invaders, to solve the problem, you must eliminate them all from your home and implement preventative measures to keep them out for good. Fortunately, the experts at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators can help.
We will inspect your property and develop a customized plan to eliminate and prevent rodent activity. Reach out to us today to learn more about our rodent control options.