Is your home susceptible to pest infestations? If you haven’t taken any preventative measures, the answer is a hard yes. Fortunately, residential pest control options will assure your home is protected from unwanted guests, so you and your family can get a better night's rest. No one wants to wake to the eerie echoes of scurrying, clawing, and gnawing in the wee hours of the night.
The good news is that it is uncommon to have a mouse and a rat infestation at the same time. You will have one or the other, but rarely both. Rats are known to chase, kill, and eat mice. In some instances, they will apply this behavior towards their own species outside of their pack.
Rats may drive the mice away, but they are far worse when it comes to the destruction of your home. Each year, rodents create more than a billion dollars worth of property damage for homeowners across the country. Even worse, their unsanitary nature threatens the health of you and your loved ones, especially as their population increases inside of your Pennsylvania home or business.
How To Identify Common Home-Invading Rodents
Pennsylvania’s most common home-invading rodents are house mice, deer mice, Norway rats, and roof rats. Some of the telltale indications of a rodent infestation are rodent droppings, gnaw marks, and remnants of nesting materials such as shredded paper, fabric, or dried plant matter. Look for these signs in attics, basements, cupboards, garages, pantries, and sheds. Rat droppings are three times the size of mice. Anything larger than a ¼ inch long will most likely mean your infestation is rat-related. If your search comes up empty, but you hear scratching and gnawing sounds at night, your pest problem has already escalated to a full-blown infestation.
The Sneaky Tactics Of Problematic Pests
Whether rodents gain access through a preexisting entry point or one that they have created, they can and will, enter your home by any means possible. Regardless of how they find their way in, rodents are home-invasion masters. An adolescent mouse can squeeze its body through a hole that is the size of a pencil. Full-grown mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime, and an adult rat can fit through a hole the size of a quarter.
As temperatures begin to drop, the likelihood of an infestation rises. Rodents are seeking the fine amenities of warmth, food, water, and dry shelter. Before they make their way into your home, they will be attracted to woodpiles, dampness, dense vegetation, and debris. They will follow pipes, gnaw through materials, or find access through vulnerable rooflines, eaves, soffits, dryer vents, and screens. Rodents can gnaw through an array of materials, including plastic, metal, sheetrock, insulation, electrical wiring, and wood. These destructive pests can infest every nook and wall void with great ease. Rodents are capable of inflicting costly structural damage, leaving your home susceptible to fire hazards, water damage, and mold.
Mold is one of many health threats that can be linked to a rodent infestation. Rodents spread viruses in saliva, feces, and urine. When we inhale dust containing dried rodent urine or feces, we are also breathing in infectious diseases they’ve left behind. Rodents also carry a variety of harmful bacteria from dumpsters, dead animals, and other unsanitary locations. Mice and rats will spread the harmful bacteria through your kitchen and pantry, contaminating your stored foods, food prep surfaces, shelves, and drawers. Contact with contaminated food or surfaces can lead to hantavirus, jaundice, pulmonary syndrome, salmonella, trichinosis, and food poisoning.
Simple Steps To Help Prevent Residential Rodent Infestations
Too often, homeowners wait until there is a problem to take action with their pest management. Don’t let this be the case for you and your family. Here a few helpful tips to apply pest prevention methods in and around your home.
Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house.
Keep shrubbery and tree branches trimmed back.
Remove any leaf litter and debris from your property.
Trim back vegetation from the perimeter of your foundation.
Seal up exterior gaps, cracks, or holes in your foundation and walls with caulk, steel wool, or a combination of both.
Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
Install chimney caps and dryer vent covers.
Seal trash cans inside and outside of your home, and dispose of your garbage regularly.
Keep attics, basements, and crawl spaces dry and ventilated.
Replace weather-stripping and loose mortar around the basement foundation and windows.
Eliminate moisture sites such as leaking pipes and clogged drains.
Store food in sealed glass or metal containers.
- Partner with BHB Pest Elimination for comprehensive rodent control services in Pennsylvania.
The Total Rodent Control Solution
For over 50 years, the experts at BHB Pest Elimination consistently provided exceptional pest control services to residents and businesses throughout Pennsylvania. Our trained technicians and management teams are committed to delivering impeccable service and durable solutions.
Whether it is a one-time pest treatment, or a year-round pest control plan, we’ll solve your pest problems and put the appropriate preventative measures in place to keep your home safe. Contact Us for estimates or questions about all of our pest control options.