Tampa Bay Homes Guide

Rodents can wiggle into homes through the tiniest of spaces. Look for droppings and gnawed holes in ductwork, door joists, or drywall.

Clean up food scraps promptly and store garbage in rodent-proof containers. Remove leaves and other debris that provide cover and shelter to rodents. Trim overhanging trees and shrubs that touch buildings. Contact Rodent Removal Texas now!

If you have mice or rats living in your house, there’s a good chance that the rodents are causing significant damage to the structure of your home as well as damaging personal belongings. Rodents are known to chew through everything, including wires and pipes, as they search for shelter and food. These destructive pests can leave a lot of messes behind, and they are not cheap to fix or remove.

Rodents are small animals that can squeeze into narrow spaces, which is why they are able to access homes and other buildings without much difficulty. Once inside, rodents contaminate food with saliva, urine and feces. The droppings left by these creatures can also soil furniture and other areas of the home, causing further damage. The pests can also cause structural problems by gnawing through wood and other materials.

Mice and rats are particularly dangerous to homes and other structures because of their sharp teeth, which they constantly use to chew and gnaw. These teeth are stronger than metal, and they can chew through a variety of materials such as aluminum siding, copper and iron pipes, cinder blocks, rock and wood. Once they chew through these items, they can create entryways into the home, which increases the risk of a fire.

Rodents love to build nests in attics and basements, as they provide a quiet and warm place for them to breed and live. They often gnaw their way through insulation and other materials in order to gather the materials needed for their nests. This can cause serious damage to the structure of the home, resulting in expensive repairs or even total loss of the house.

Each year, rodents cause millions of dollars worth of electrical damage in homes and other structures. The rodents’ constant gnawing and chewing destroys the insulative coating around electrical wires, which can lead to power outages and other dangerous problems.

Rodents and their messes can be a real nightmare for homeowners, and they often cost thousands of dollars to fix or remove once they become a problem. If you have mice or rats living in your home, it’s important to take action immediately. The longer you wait, the more costly the problem will be for your family.

Rodents invade about 21 million homes in every winter, squeezing through openings as small as a nickel. Their gnawing destroys furniture, walls, and insulation and can lead to structural problems and property damage. Rodents also spread diseases and contaminate food, soiling surfaces with their urine, droppings, and saliva. They can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Their feces can transmit food borne illnesses such as salmonella.

Rodents rummage through garbage and stored foods in search of nourishment. They can contaminate foods and cause a variety of health issues, including allergic reactions, food poisoning, and even life-threatening diseases such as leptospirosis, tularemia, plague, and salmonella poisoning. Rodents are known to carry as many as 35 different diseases and infections that can be transferred to humans by direct contact, inhalation, or ingestion of contaminated materials.

Their sharp incisors never stop growing, and they are constantly gnawing on wood, wires, and other objects. This can lead to extensive property damage and increase the risk of fires and electrical outages. In addition, their constant gnawing can weaken structures and create entry points for other pests.

A professional rodent removal company will not only trap and remove rats and mice, but will identify and address the conditions that encourage rodents to reside in your home or business. They will provide advice on preventing future infestations, including exclusion techniques that prevent rodents from entering.

Rodents can gnaw through pipes and fittings, which can cause leaks and water damage. They can also damage insulation, resulting in energy loss and higher utility bills. They can also gnaw through air ducts, releasing allergens and respiratory irritants throughout the building.

Rats and mice are the most common rodents that enter buildings. Other rodents such as guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), hamsters, and gerbils (Gerbillus jerboa) are often kept as pets and can become problematic when they escape. However, they do not pose the same health risks as rats and mice, and are not typically included in pest control programs.

Rodents are omnivores and enjoy eating seeds, fruit and grain-based foods. They also raid bird feeders, eat fallen fruit from backyard trees and bushes, and infiltrate grain storage bins. If rodents become a problem, they will attract fleas, which carry pathogens that can affect a family’s pets.

The most significant threat of mice and rat infestations is their tendency to damage buildings. Their gnawing destroys insulation in walls, attics and crawl spaces, leading to energy loss, higher utility bills, and fire hazards. They can also contaminate a building with urine and feces, creating unpleasant odors and health risks.

Rodents also gnaw through electrical wires, creating potential fire hazards and short circuits. They can also chew through plumbing pipes, causing leaks and water damage. Gnawing in a crawl space or attic can also lead to mold growth and damage the thermal protection that keeps a building comfortable.

Because rodents have powerful noses, they can easily sniff out and gnaw through food packages. This contaminates the home with bacteria and other pathogens, leaving a sour taste in a homeowner’s mouth. Keeping garbage cans and compost containers closed will prevent rodents from accessing these sources of food.

Another major threat is that rodents are known to spread disease pathogens and fungi that can create illness for humans and pets. Their droppings also contain dangerous pathogens. Besides droppings, signs of rodent activity include rub marks, dark sebum (grease mark), and scratching noises in walls.

Rodents have the ability to squeeze through openings the size of a pencil, making it important to inspect and seal entry points around your upstate property. Look for gaps along the foundation, eaves, roof soffits and vents, floor drains, utility lines, fireplaces, and chimneys. Fill these gaps with caulk or steel wool to keep rodents from entering your home. Also, remove debris and piles of logs, leaves or other materials that might provide hiding places for rats or mice. Store firewood in a shed or other protected area, and keep potted plants at least three feet away from the house.

Rodents cause damage to food and property and carry diseases that can make people sick. They also cause fires by chewing on electrical wires. They contaminate food and can spread allergens such as rodent urine and feces. They can bite and irritate pets and are known to cause breathing difficulties in sensitive people.

Routine sanitation and rodent proofing are the best preventive measures. Sanitation eliminates conditions that encourage rodent infestations, and rodent proofing seals entry points to stop current rodents from reentering homes or buildings.

Regularly inspect your home and structures for signs of rodents – droppings, chewed packaging, gnaw marks, greasy rub marks. Look for possible entry points such as holes under doors, eave and attic vents that are not screened, soffits or chimneys that aren’t covered, basement windows that are open or warped, and spaces around air conditioning units and drainpipes.

Use rodent-proof materials for the walls and trim of structures and replace worn caulk. Fill small holes with steel wool or metal caulk to deter mice, and apply lath screen or cement to patch larger gaps. Install rodent-proof vents and eave soffit covers to stop rats and mice from entering attics or crawlspaces.

Clean up garbage, compost and wood piles to remove food and nesting material that can attract rodents. Keep kitchen garbage cans sealed and empty regularly, and store meat, grains and other foods in rodent-proof containers. Store firewood at least 12 inches away from buildings and trim shrubs, bushes and dense trees to reduce shelter and hiding places.

The most effective preventive measure is to hire a pest control provider that offers Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that focus on sanitation and rodent proofing rather than trapping or baiting. These preventive methods are less expensive and more effective in the long run.

Rats and mice are opportunistic and will enter any structure where it has an advantage, so inspection is the first step in keeping them out. A trusted provider will inspect your building and recommend the most appropriate preventive measures. Call for a free inspection and consultation today.