For those concerned about the safety of their home when it comes to pests, knowing is half the battle. We want the information necessary to diagnose our problems and to begin finding a solution. When dealing with rodents, sometimes this information can be difficult to find, as the critters themselves work hard to stay out of sight. Often you won't know you've got a rodent problem until they've settled in and begun to move about your house, leaving droppings and other signs of their presence. This, however, will likely give no indication of their nesting places, as rodents often wander quite a bit in search of food. What may help is identifying the type of rodent you're dealing with, and from there knowing where to look for their place of residence within your house.
There are three types of rodents in Texas that are commonly found trying to make their homes inside of human dwellings, the house mouse, the roof rat, and the Norway rat. The Norway rat is the biggest of the three, with a body that can grow to over nine inches in length. Their size and bulky build makes climbing difficult, so they will usually be found on the ground level or below. The roof rat, by contrast, may well live up to its name and enter your house via the attic, making it the first place you should look. Roof rats are slightly smaller and have a sleeker build suitable for climbing. Apart from their size and build, you can differentiate these two kinds of rats by the shape of the face, roof rats have a pointier nose, and larger eyes and ears for the size of their head. Norway rats normally have a peppered color variation to their coat as well, where roof rats are more uniformly brown or black. Finally, the house mouse is fairly easy to distinguish from these two, being significantly smaller, but unfortunately, it is the hardest to track down, as house mice can live anywhere there's a convenient corner. Look for all three around insulation, as it makes an excellent nest, and remember that even the Norway rat can fit into surprisingly small spaces.
But what if you only caught a glimpse of a furry creature in your garage? What if you've never seen signs in your house, and your house is fairly new? Unfortunately, these factors are no guarantee that your house is safe, and the risks that rodents pose to health and safety are significant enough that protective measures should be taken even for a suspected infestation. These rodents often become dependent on humans for food, and they will quickly take up residence in the house if given the opportunity. Rodents wander throughout their territory, getting into whatever they can and gnawing at things all along the way to keep their front teeth from growing too large. It may be a little nibble here and there, but when even piping and wiring aren't safe from being chewed a little nibble can go a long way toward making your house unsafe. Also, as rodents travel around they leave a mess made of urine and feces that is both smelly and very unsanitary. Rodents are hosts to some really nasty bacteria that can cause illness in humans, and as carriers of ticks, fleas, and mites they can do even greater damage.
Rodent prevention starts by closing the front door, although their definition of a door may differ significantly from ours. As mentioned previously even small openings can be enough, which means that foundations, windows, doors, eaves, drainage openings, chimneys, and venting should all be checked over and sealed where necessary. Beyond this keeping your food and garbage sealed inside and removing sources of cover and food outside, including bird feeders, will make your property less inviting to rodents. If these defenses aren't enough, or you are already seeing the signs of a rodent presence, call Adams Exterminating Company. We go beyond laying out a couple traps behind the stove and leaving you with the hope of catching rodents faster than they can breed. Our trained technicians will design a treatment plan for your property, and our pest control programs include regular follow up with you to ensure that once the rodents are gone, they won't be back anytime soon.