Professional Rodent Management Solutions
protect your home or business from mice and rats
Are rodents gnawing away in your home or business? If so, you need to be concerned.
The meaning of the word rodent is "to gnaw or chew." Rodents are well equipped to carry out this activity with their sharp, incisor-like teeth. The most common rodent pests are the house mouse, Norway rat and roof rat. Rodents may live mainly outdoors in spring and summer; but in fall and winter, they move inside to obtain warmth and moisture. If rodents enter your home or business, they are much more than a nuisance.
What about health concerns?
Rodents can present serious health, economic and safety concerns. Rodents and their parasites carry numerous diseases. Every year they contaminate and destroy millions of dollars worth of property, food and other goods. The number one household rodent pest throughout the United States is the house mouse. Norway and roof rats are also troublesome and threatening pests that spread disease. Their droppings and urine contaminate surfaces and food items. Fleas and mites are the primary parasites associated with rodents and have also been known to spread diseases.
What about damage and economic concerns?
Mice and rats can cause extensive damage to your property and its contents, whether it is residential or commercial. Rodents are particularly destructive in agricultural and food processing facilities because of contamination of food and feed items with their urine and droppings. Since the primary activities of a rodent are gnawing and chewing, computer cables are frequently damaged and countless electrical fires have been directly attributed to rodents.
What are the signs?
Droppings are the most common signs of rodents and can be found where they travel. One house mouse can produce up to 500 droppings in one day. Indications of rodent activity are rodent tracks in dust, smudges on the walls near floor level, worn paths or runways along baseboards and around rafters and worn paths or runways going to and from ground burrows. Also, look for signs of gnawing and unexplained damage to wood, carpeting, screen doors, furniture, upholstery and wiring.
Identifying the most common rodents.
The house mouse is the smallest of the rodents and is easily distinguished from rats because of its much smaller size and large ears. The adult mouse weighs about 1 ounce or less and is about 6 to 7 inches long including its 3 to 4 inch tail. It is generally brownish-gray. The nose is pointed, ears are large and with hair and its belly is pale. House mice are prolific, producing as many as 50 offspring in a year. They can climb, run, jump and squeeze through tiny openings the size of a dime.
The Norway rat is a moderate-sized, robust rodent, about 12 to 18 inches long including a 5 to 8 inch long bi-colored tail. The adult Norway rat weighs around 8 ounces to 1 pound or more. The fur is coarse, grizzled, normally brown to reddish-gray on the back and grayish-white on the belly. Sometimes, they are black, white or spotted. The nose is blunt while the ears are short, hairy and close to the head. Norway rats are good swimmers and can be found in buildings, basements and in burrows under structures or other sheltered areas.
The roof rat is usually black, brown or gray, with a pale belly. It is smaller and more slender than the Norway rat, with bigger eyes and ears and a longer tail. The roof rat weighs 4 to 10 ounces and is 14 to 18 inches long including a 7 to 10 inch long tail. The tail is one color and longer than the head and body combined. The nose is pointed and the ears are large, thin, hairless and stand upright on the head. Roof rats are good climbers and can be found in attics, along rafters, pipes, and wires and on rooftops of buildings.
What you can do.
The first step to manage rodents is to not attract them to your home or business. You can take some precautionary steps to prevent rodents from entering.
- Make sure all doors and screens fit tightly with no gaps.
- Seal up any holes on the outside of the building that may allow rodents to enter.
- Trash receptacles and dumpsters must have tight fitting covers.
- Keep all indoor and outdoor areas free of debris and clutter.
- Stored grain, pet food and other food products must be sealed in metal containers.
- Trim trees and shrubs back from the building to prevent rodents from using them to gain access.
Dodson Pest Control Innovative Solutions
Dodson Pest Control has the knowledge and experience to assist you with rodent management. Our technicians will evaluate your concerns and develop a customized approach to provide effective protection from rodents.
The nature and extent of the problem needs to be well defined before deciding which management measures would be most effective. Our objectives are to prevent rodents from entering the building and to reduce the likelihood of exposure to occupants and residents.
Rodent management strategies may include:
- Sanitation recommendations to reduce rodent harborage and attractiveness.
- Rodent-proofing advice such as to seal holes and cracks to prevent rodent entry.
- Traps may be used to capture and prevent rodent entry.
- Rodenticides secured in tamper-resistant bait stations may be used in strategic indoor and outdoor areas to eliminate rodent activity.
- Glue boards may be used to capture and remove rodents.
Proper pest management and sanitation are essential to protect your property from rodents and to maintain and ensure a healthy environment.
Contact your local Dodson office today