Rodent Control and Removal Guide

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What You Should Know About Rodents in Your Home

Most of us have a general sense about the necessary steps to take when faced with a cockroach or ant infestation in our homes, including who to turn to if we need help. But do you know what to do when faced with small animals and nuisance wildlife like rats, mice and squirrels in your home? Sure, the sounds of their scurrying around your attic or basement can be unsettling, but did you know they can be quite dangerous as well? Read on to learn more about rodent control and removal and the different issues that make eradicating rodent infestations different from your more typical insect infestations.

Good to Know

Annually, 21 million homes are infested with mice and rats and other small mammals that are characterized by their ability to squeeze through tight spaces

Most Common Types of Rodents

Rats and mice are some of the most common household pests in America, depending on where you live. Annually, 21 million homes are infested with mice and rats and other small mammals that are characterized by their ability to squeeze through tight spaces and gnaw on wood, wiring, plastic and drywall. The most common types of rats and mice found in homes in the United States are the house mouse, the deer mouse, the Norway rat, the roof rat, and the common squirrel.

Clearly, rodent species can present serious threats to your health and property once inside your home. Worldwide, these two rodent species spread over 35 different diseases, including:

Plague
Salmonella
Hantavirus
Tularemia
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
Leptospirosis

These diseases are transmitted through:

Coming into contact with rodent bodily fluids like feces, urine and saliva
Being bitten by a rodent carrying any disease
Transmission from a rodent via a parasitical insect such as a tick, mite or flea who has fed from a rodent carrying the disease.

Rats and mice can also trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in those who are susceptible and can cause life threatening attacks.

Use Caution

Worldwide, these two rodent species spread over 35 different diseases

How Can I Prevent Rodents from Getting into my House?

The best way to deal with any kind of rodent infestation is to prevent one from happening in the first place. Start by removing their sources of food, water and any items or areas that may provide shelter for the rodents. Next steps include:

Sealing up holes both outside and inside your home to prevent entry.
Removing anything that rodents might use as a food source.
Make sure to frequently clean any areas you think may be harboring a rodent infestation to avoid disease transmission.
Trim or get rid of any overgrown vegetation that may provide access to your home. Check to make sure that no branches are touching the outside of your home and keep weeds and grass clipped short.
Prevention is always the best way to protect your family and property, but how do you know if you already have an infestation in your home?

How Can I Get Rid of Rodents in my Home?

Mouse traps are still one of the most effective ways of controlling rodent infestations. In order to make sure that any effort you put forward toward ridding your home of rodents is worth it, first, you need to figure out where the mice or rats are coming from. Once you have determined where those places might be, you can set up mouse and rat traps. Below are the most common kinds of mouse and rat traps available:

Snap Traps

Snap traps are made up of a thick metal wire connected to a small piece of wood. They are armed with a spring and catch. Placing a small bait onto the metal portion of the catch, the snap trap works when a mouse or rat takes the bait, releasing the metal part of the catch, snapping the trap shut. Snap traps are cheap, widely available, and considered inhumane as they often don’t kill rodents instantly and can even pose a danger to pets and small children.

Glue Traps

Glue traps are flat boards, often made of plastic, covered in a strong glue. Rats and mice are trapped when they become literally stuck to the adhesive connected to the trap. The more the rodent struggles, the more it becomes stuck to the glue. Glue traps are also considered ineffective and inhumane because the mouse or rat is not killed by the trap, but dies instead by starvation and dehydration.

Live-Animal Traps

Live-animal traps are the most humane DIY rat trap and are non-lethal. Rodents are lured into what is essentially a small cage through the use of bait. They then remain trapped in the cage until you or a pest control expert safely relocates the rodent to a location away from your house.

Electronic Traps

Considered more humane than other lethal traps, electronic traps involve baiting mice and rats into a small passageway where the rodent is shocked to death by a 7,000 volt charge. This high-voltage shock is said to kill rats instantly, but is still small enough to be safe around larger pets such as dogs and cats and small children.

When To Call an Expert

If you are finding any of the signs that rodents leave behind to let you know they have taken up residence in your home, it’s time to call an expert. Typically, you will find most rodent infestations in your attic or basement. Rats primarily nest inside attics, walls, crawlspaces and basements; this is because rodents seek out areas of your home that will provide protection for their young. Signs you may have rodents taking up residence in your home include:

Finding rodent droppings in your home. Rodent feces are a good sign that you have pests in your home.
- Rat droppings are black, shiny and from 0.5 to 0.75 inches long.
- Mice droppings are smaller, about 0.125 to 0.25 of an inch long, and have pointed ends.
Small tracks or tail trails in your home.
- If there’s a place in your home you haven’t cleaned in a while, you may find some evidence of rodents making tracks through dust. Baseboards, corners, and close to any food source are a good place to check for rodent tracks and trails.
- Points of entry may be easily spotted by tracing these trails.
You see tiny teeth marks on the wood or drywall in your home.

Making sure that rodents don’t have access to your home or food is the first of many steps to ensure your home is protected from the dangers of rodent infestations. Effective rodent control methods can be dangerous and difficult to operate correctly and the use of only one method of control is often not enough. To ensure that your home and family are properly protected from rodents, reach out to an experienced technician who can help determine the most effective methods for rodent removal. At Home Pros is your one-stop site to finding the right rodent removal service in your area. Reach out today!