Apr 18, 2023 | Wildlife
Rodents, such as rats and mice, are common household pests that can cause many problems, from property damage to health issues. In the southern United States, there are several types of rats and mice that are commonly found near homes. Let’s go over the most common types of rats and mice and how to prevent them from invading your home.
Roof Rat
Roof rats are also known as black rats and are commonly found in urban and suburban areas. They are about 7-10 inches in length and have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and trees.
Norway Rat
Norway rats are also known as brown rats and are larger than roof rats, measuring 10-12 inches in length. They have blunt snouts, small ears, and short, thick tails. They are burrowers and are often found in basements and crawl spaces.
House Mouse
House mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and walls.
Deer Mouse
Deer mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They are brown or gray in color and have large eyes and ears. They are often found in rural areas and can carry hantavirus, a potentially fatal disease.
How to prevent rodents:
- Seal any cracks or openings in your home’s exterior
- Keep your home clean and free of clutter
- Store food in sealed containers
- Keep basement and crawl space clean and free of debris
- Keep trees trimmed away from your home
If you believe you have a rodent infestation, give your local wildlife control company a call to provide a customized plan of action!
Mar 22, 2023 | Wildlife
South Florida Wildlife Control: How To Prevent
While Florida sees warmer temperatures year-round compared to other states, there’s bound to be a cold front hit during the winter season. Wildlife creatures look to our Harlem Heights homes for food, shelter, and warmth. Before they enter, it’s important for every homeowner to brush up on their knowledge of the types of winter wildlife and how to prevent them!
Rats & Mice
Rats and mice are notorious for entering our homes for shelter and food. These creatures are known to inhabit our crawl spaces, basements, kitchens, and attics. Once inside they can cause serious damage, such as chewing wire, destroying insulation, and leaving behind their feces.
Rats and mice are known to carry and spread diseases such as salmonella, lice, fleas, and ticks. Their droppings can also contain pathogens, dangerous to humans. Major signs of these creatures inside your home are hearing noises coming from the walls or ceilings, such as tapping or scratching.
Raccoons
Nocturnal animals, raccoons are dexterous, often opening doorknobs, cabinet doors, and trashcan lids to search for any available food source. These creatures are known to inhabit suburbs, and you will often find them invading hollow trees, attics, or garages.
Raccoons can cause significant damage to the outside of your home such as ripping of shingles, fascia boards, and even chimney vents! If they infest inside, they will destroy insulation, chew electrical wires, and contaminate the home with their urine and feces.
Bats
Bats are looking for a protected place that stays above freezing to inhabit. These creatures will often look to our attics for shelter, so they can huddle in a group together. If you suspect you have bats inside, don’t be surprised if there’s a group of them instead of just one. Bats will usually stay in attics during the day, leaving at night to search for a food source.
These creatures are known to carry diseases, such as rabies, which can spread to humans. In several states, removing bats is a delicate matter and will need to be done by a professional.
Preventing wildlife can seem daunting but there are a few easy ways you can keep them from invading your home. Check out our top wildlife prevention tips below:
- Seal your garbage cans and compost bins
- Trim or cut tree limbs away from your house’s roof line
- Place a grated screen on top of your chimney
- Consider enclosing your crawlspace to eliminate entry points
- Inspect the exterior of your home for holes and gaps, sealing them immediately
- Reach out to your local South Florida wildlife control company to set you up with a prevention and treatment plan to avoid a wildlife infestation
Dec 9, 2022 | Pest Control
Rats are one of the most destructive household pests, chewing through wires, walls, and insulation and contaminating your home with their feces and urine. They also carry some pretty serious diseases, putting both you and your family at risk. These risk factors make identification and rodent control an important part of your household pest control plan.
Rats are mostly nocturnal pests and it is rare for them to come out during the day. Their activity typically begins around dusk. Because rats commonly inhabit areas near humans, it is safer for them to come out after dark when there is less chance of them being caught. They will make an appearance during the daytime if they feel safe enough to do so and especially if food supplies are scarce.
If they aren’t coming around during the day, where are they hiding? Rats prefer to hide in places that are tucked out of the way and that aren’t often disturbed. Outdoors they will hide under piles of debris, under trash piles, in dumpsters and trash cans, in trees, and in sewers. They can also be found under bushes and shrubs, in woodpiles, and in gutters. Inside, rats can be found hiding out in holes, cracks, and crevices; climbing up through drains in bathrooms and kitchens; behind cabinets; behind and under appliances; in air ducts and ventilation systems; in piles of clutter; in storage containers; in hollow walls; and in crawlspaces, attics, garages, and basements.
Seeing a rat during the day can be an indication of a larger rodent infestation. Seeing one rat may not be cause for alarm; seeing more than one or seeing one in conjunction with other signs of rodents can be cause for concern. Some common signs of a rodent infestation include rat droppings, especially in one specific area; chew marks or chewed through wires, food packages, and other household surfaces; nesting material like fabric and paper; and a musty smell.
If you suspect you have a problem with rats or any other rodents, contact your local pest control company who can provide you with a thorough evaluation and an ongoing treatment and prevention plan to keep your home pest free.
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Oct 20, 2022 | Pest Control
Rodents such as mice and rats are one of the most common household pests. While they are definitely nuisance pests, they can also cause property damage to your home, as well as transmit serious diseases to you and your family.
The first step in rodent control is to determine that you have an infestation. Common signs of rodents include droppings near food sources; shredded paper, fabric, and other nesting materials; chewed food packages; holes chewed through walls and floors; and stale smells from hidden areas of your home.
Rodents are attracted to unsealed food containers, pet food and water that’s left out, open bowls of fruit and vegetables, leaky faucets and pipes, open trash cans, and compost containers among other things. They enter your home in search of these things. They get in through holes from the exterior of the home, holes around sink and appliance pipes, cracked foundations, unscreened vents, and holes around windows and doors.
The first step in rodent control for your home is prevention. If you can keep these pests from infesting your home in the first place, you won’t have to get rid of them later. Common rodent control methods you can utilize in your house include:
- Sealing entry points with metal mesh.
- Removing those food and water sources they are attracted to.
- Keeping your house clean.
- Avoiding the use of ivy or other vines in landscaping (rodents use these to climb onto your home).
- Keeping compost piles away from the home.
- Keeping grass mowed short.
- Keeping a buffer of at least 2 feet between landscaping and buildings.
- Avoiding the use of birdfeeders.
- Keeping outdoor grills clean.
- Keeping firewood elevated and stored away from the home.
- Using trashcans with lids.
- Sealing food in containers.
- Rinsing food and drink containers before throwing them away.
- Keeping trashcans clean.
- Avoiding leaving pet food and water out overnight.
- Keeping stovetops and countertops clean.
- Keeping your home free of clutter from paper, fabric, and other materials used for nesting.
- Repairing leaky pipes.
- Keeping attics and crawlspaces dry.
- Promoting natural predators (owls, hawks, snakes) around your home.
If you have a problem with rodents or other pests, contact your local pest control company for an evaluation.
You May Also Be Interested In:
DIY Pest-Proofing for Fall Wildlife
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Aug 22, 2022 | Florida Pest Control, Wildlife
Pompano Beach Pest Control: Wildlife Exclusion
Wildlife creatures can be cute from afar, but once they’ve invaded our homes, they quickly become a nuisance! While wildlife typically invade homes in the winter, they are still highly active in the summer, as well, searching for food and water sources. Check out our list of common wildlife creatures in Pompano Beach and how you can prevent them.
Rats
Active year-round, rats are excellent climbers and will adapt to human environments. They often seek out undisturbed areas such as attics, basements, and crawlspaces. For survival, these rodents will need a food source and will look in your home for grains, nuts, fruits, seeds, and vegetables. Harmful to humans, rats are known to contaminate food, cause fire hazards by chewing wires, and leave their droppings that can lead to disease.
Opossums
During the summer, opossums are actively hunting for food for their young. During the day, these pests will hide in trees until the evening arrives. As nocturnal pests, opossums look for their food source primarily at night. Opossums will scour your trashcans for nuts, fruits, grains, and even insects.
Raccoons
Raccoons give birth to their young during the summer and, like opossums, they are actively looking for food for their babies. While raccoons prefer wooded areas to inhabit with trees, water, and vegetation, they can be found in human areas too. They often seek out shelter in our attics, barns, and sheds. Raccoons are also nocturnal, searching for food at night. These creatures eat fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, and even snakes. Raccoons can become a nuisance if they find their way onto our property, often knocking over garbage cans or destroying gardens.
Preventing wildlife starts with the preventative measures put in place around your home. Consider utilizing these do-it-yourself wildlife control tips:
- Keep garbage stored in tightly sealed trash containers
- Remove any food source outside, including your pet food bowls
- Seal any open holes or gaps found in garages, windows, or exterior doors
- Contact your local Pompano Beach pest control company to assess your wildlife issue, provide a treatment plan, and recommend wildlife exclusion options.
