Common Dangers of Rodents in Your Home

Rodents like rats and mice are notorious for how dirty and gross they can be out in the wild. Although it’s been determined in recent years that rats may not have been the cause of the Black Plague, rodents continue to raise a number of concerns. Before we get into rodent pest control methods to keep these critters out of your home this summer, you need to understand why you should be concerned with the possibility of a rodent infestation. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common dangers that rodents pose in your home this summer:

Various Diseases

Outdoor rodents are known for being dirty and carrying germs, but the biggest danger is the long list of diseases that they can potentially carry. Some of these diseases include salmonella, monkey pox, hemorrhagic fever, and rat bite fever. Even breathing dust near their feces can be dangerous because this is how the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is spread.

Electrical Fire Hazards

Rodents chew through anything they find, which is why it’s easy for them to contaminate food that’s located in cardboard boxes, plastic containers, and wooden cabinets. What you might not realize is that they can also lead to electrical fire hazards. This is because it’s common for rodents to chew through wires, including vehicle wires, when they crawl up under your hood on cold nights.

Asthma or Allergies

Many people don’t think about the negative effect rodents can have on indoor air quality. A rodent’s fur, dander, urine, and droppings can enter your air and irritate those with asthma or allergies. It’s also possible that severe cases of rodent infestation can actually cause a person to develop respiratory issues they didn’t have before.

How to Prevent Rodents in Your Home

With proper rodent pest control, you can get rid of rats and mice quite easily. The problem is that many homeowners don’t know where to begin.

Here are a few simple techniques that you can use to either prevent or eliminate rodents:

Schedule Routine Pest Control

Before we dive into some do-it-yourself options, let’s discuss the most obvious way to get rid of rodents… hiring someone else to do it. A professional pest control company will visit your home with no obligation, examine it for signs of rodent presence, and then formulate an extermination plan if any are found. Scheduling an annual or biannual inspection is your best option.

Remove Water from Your Yard

One of the biggest reasons rodents will come to your home is because they’re in need of water. If you have any standing water in your yard, then this could lead them into your home. Remove any standing water after it rains and place water structures such as fountains or koi ponds as far away from your home as you can.

Clean Up Food from the Kitchen

We often talk about insects searching for food, but rodents are the worst because of their size. They will chew through wood, cardboard, plastic, and other materials to find sustenance. Make sure that you clean up food from the kitchen, including pet food. The more you can block their food sources, the less likely they’ll enter your home.

Seal Cracks, Gaps, and Holes

Cracks, gaps, and holes found around various areas of your home are perfect entry points for rodents. Even if these access points aren’t very big, rodents can use their powerful teeth to make them bigger. Seal these areas with either caulk, spray foam, or weather-stripping, depending on their location and severity.

Set Up Traps or Bait Stations

To get rid of rodents that are already in your home, you can start by setting up either traps or bait stations. Snap traps, live traps, and sticky traps are all very effective in getting rid of rats and mice. You can also set up tamper-resistant bait stations that use pesticides to kill the rodents, but they may run off after eating the poison inside and die elsewhere.

Use Eco-Friendly Repellents

For many years, toxic pesticides have been used to eliminate rodents and other pests. These days, most homeowners opt for eco-friendly repellents. Spreading peppermint oil is a great way to get rid of rodents, especially mice, because the oil’s menthol compounds will irritate their nasal cavities. Another solution is to use an ultrasonic device that repels rodents without harming them.

Contact ProHealth Pest Control for Rodent Pest Control this Summer 

ProHealth Pest Control can assist you in getting rid of all types of rodents. If you have any questions about our rodent treatment or would like to schedule an appointment, reach out to us at (727) 308-2543 today.