When it comes to difficult and embarrassing home situations, rodent infestations are high on the list, so rodent removal needs to be fast and preferably quiet. Those who have never experienced an infestation tend to view it as something easy to avoid, and think that if you are suffering from a rat infestation you must be a careless housekeeper.
Meanwhile, rats and mice are exceptionally destructive, as rodent populations bring with them diseases, parasites, other vermin, and excrement–not to mention their habits of chewing on wires and drywall, leaving grease stains on walls, and scattering and wasting stored food. The sooner the rodents are gone the less damage you will experience. so once again, fast rodent removal is of paramount importance.
Do It Yourself Rodent Control: Is Killing Rats Your New Hobby?
At first glance, it may seem less embarrassing and less expensive to take care of the problem yourself. Hardware stores sell poisons, snap traps and glue traps; surely scattering these items here and there would solve the problem with no need to claim a rodent expense on your taxes or hire strangers to enter your home?
Reasons to Call a Pest Control Company
At the surface rodent control seems simple. See a rat? Trap a rat. Problem solved, right?
Not so fast. Rats are not solitary animals, so if you ever see one rodent, or signs of a rat, you can be sure there are others. They are also very fast at reproducing: a single female rat that has a litter of baby rats tomorrow could have literally hundreds of babies, grand babies and great grand babies by the same time next year. Setting one trap and catching one rat will not solve your problem.
So you have to catch more than one rat. Still doesn’t seem that hard… Until you consider several facts.
Rodents are Not Stupid
Rats are actually very smart. Buying a bait station may kill a few rats via poison, but once they start getting sick, their friends will shun the bait station and start finding other things to eat, and never fall for the old bait station trick again.
Traps are similarly easy for them to figure out. Some rats will learn to steal the bait without springing the trap, while others will just avoid the snap traps altogether. And glue traps seem much easier than they are.
A rat will get stuck to the glue trap and then try to get away, dragging the glue trap around the house and injuring itself by trying to pull free from the glue. They are really only good for one rat per glue trap, and unlike a snap trap, they leave you with the problem of having to dispatch the animal you caught.
Rodent Proofing Is Not Easy
Even if you somehow manage to catch every rat in your home, the world is dark and full of rats. More will come unless you are able to secure your perimeter and all food sources against them. Rats can find their way in through shockingly small gaps, and a corner or sill that won’t admit them today might be big enough for them to enter tomorrow, thanks to their powerful gnawing teeth.
If you have secured your own pantry, what about pet food, birdseed, or garden and lawn seeds? All these things can serve as food sources, and as long as there is a food source the rats will be looking for it.
What about your garbage cans? Can your say beyond doubt that there is nothing good to eat in your trash can right now? Even if there is nothing substantial, is there residue that would make it smell attractive to a rat? Just a stinky styrofoam pan that used to hold raw chicken is enough to make rats want to investigate.
The Right Professional To Solve Your Rodent Infestation
If you are beginning to feel daunted by the idea of handling your rodent control problem on your own, please set your mind at ease. There are many amazing rodent control services nationwide and they handle hundreds of cases just like yours every year. They won’t judge your situation but will get right to work to remove your current rodent populations and then to help you make sure more don’t take their place.
Up To Date Methods of Rodent Removal
A professional rodent exterminator with excellent reviews will know exactly the right bait and the best spots to set traps, ensuring a quick end to your rodent infestation. They will know where to look for activity in order to set rodent traps, and also when bait stations are necessary and where to set them for maximum efficacy.
Certain poisons have been found to kill natural predators that feed on rodents and should no longer be used. Your rodent control professional can tell you what kind of poison they use and assure you that it is great for killing rats but harmless at the dosage that might be consumed by an owl or fox that might catch the rodent before it succumbs.
With well placed traps, baited with the industry standard in attractive foods, you can expect your rodent problem to be solved in a matter of weeks. Compare this to the idea of trying different methods and baits yourself, and the process dragging on for months. The rodent control cost will seem very worthwhile when your problem is a thing of the past.
Re-infestation Prevention Methods
Once the rodent control service has checked their traps a few times and verified that the rodents are all gone, it is imperative to make sure that other rodents won’t come to take their place.
Experienced pest control professionals will know exactly where to look for weak points in the exterior of your home, and help you secure food sources that might be attracting rodents, in order to prevent future infestations.
Entry Points: Checking the Perimeter
Are there gaps between the roof soffits and the exterior wall of your house? Any loose siding on your house, or J channel that has come loose?
Does the hardboard meet the foundation evenly all the way around your exterior, or are there holes behind the bushes that could go all the way under the foundation to the crawlspace behind?
These are just a few trouble areas that an experienced professional will examine to make sure rats are unable to enter. They might also make recommendations to cut back tree branches away from the roof of your home.
Rodent removal services will know all the tricks that rodents use to get in, and will use the best exclusion methods available to prevent their return. They will also know about the best repellants, natural odors that can be sprayed on landscaping to make the area less attractive to rodents.
Mouse Treats: Surprising Things Could Be Drawing Rodents
One of the first ways that people often notice a rodent infestation is the damage that is done to their stored food. Flour scattered inside a cupboard, mixed with droppings, is a sure sign.
To keep your stored food from attracting rodents, put dry goods in metal or glass containers with tight lids;clean up spilled grains and flours. Make sure breads and snacks have a rodent-proof bread box and aren’t just sitting in an undefended cupboard.
But now, if you have secured your own pantry, what about pet food, birdseed, or garden and lawn seeds? All these things can serve as attractants, and as long as there is a food source the rodents will be looking for it. What about your garbage cans?
Can your say beyond doubt that there is nothing good to eat in your trash can right now? Even if there is nothing substantial, is there residue that would make it smell attractive to a rodent? Just a stinky styrofoam pan that used to hold raw chicken is enough to make rodents want to investigate.
Even soap and candles are worth sniffing out and nibbling for a hungry rodent, so make sure these substances are also secured.
Don’t Delay In Finding Solutions to Rodent Infestations
When it comes to rodents, it never pays to delay. Every day they are reproducing, causing more damage, and feeling more at home in their safe new house. The fastest method to eliminate rodents is to call a licensed exterminator the moment you first see signs of their presence.
If you don’t want to experience the embarrassment of a mouse running across your dining room while your boss is enjoying a cocktail at your house, research local rodent control services today.
