Rodent Identification & Prevention
What Are Rodents?
Collegeville and our plentiful outdoor spaces provide places for many rodents to thrive. Some of the most common types of rodents in our region are the deer mouse, house mouse, field mouse, white-footed mouse, and rat.
Rodents are small mammals and opportunistic by nature. Over time rodents have learned to benefit from people, regularly find their way onto our Collegeville properties, and, without asking, make themselves at home. Food is what is most likely to attract these critters. Most rodents are omnivores, and the food they find in our trash cans, gardens, compost piles, yards, and outdoor eating areas is too much for them to resist.
Are Rodents Dangerous?
While there are several types of pet rodents that people don’t mind sharing their homes with, wild rodents should never be welcome as guests.
Wild rodents transmit diseases worldwide and pose serious health risks; the pathogens they spread in their feces, urine, and saliva can cause serious illnesses in people.
If becoming ill because of rodents isn’t enough, we also consider rodents dangerous because of the serious structural damage they cause to our homes. Rodents use their sharp front incisors to damage drywall, flooring, trim, cabinets, wires, cables, and more.
Other dangers associated with rodents include:
- Being the root cause of fires and short circuits in our houses.
- Contaminating our family’s stored food, an expensive and unpleasant problem.
- Triggering allergy symptoms because of the allergens their fur, excrement, and saliva building up in your home.
Rodents are dangerous; if you ever notice rodents, their gnaw marks, or dark rice-like excrement in your home, contact us for help.
Why Do I Have a Rodent Problem?
Rodents like to live in places that provide them with easy access to food. Mice and rats have high metabolisms and constantly search for food to meet their high nutritional needs. Unfortunately for us, our yards often fit that bill. Gardens, trees, sheds, garages, woodpiles, and dense landscaping are where we find rodents living close to our Collegeville homes.
Where will I find rodents?
Though rodents are wild animals that primarily live outside, they are some of the most common pests that infiltrate our Collegeville homes. When temperatures outside become uncomfortable (too hot or cold), there is a lack of food outdoors, or food odors inside our homes become too much for them to resist, rodents will use our homes as a place of retreat.
Rodents are prey animals, and their natural instinct is to nest out of sight of larger predators. When mice and rats enter your home, they seek a dark, quiet place to spend their days. At night they emerge from their hideouts and move around your home to forage for food, water sources, and nesting materials.
If rodents are hiding inside your home, they are likely nesting in wall voids, attics, the backs of cabinets and closets, and under large appliances and pieces of furniture.
How do I get rid of rodents?
Rodents have learned how beneficial it can be for them to live with people, which makes avoiding these pests quite a chore. The easiest and safest way to remove rodents from your home and prevent them from returning in the future is to implement regular home pest control services.
Here at Terra Pest Management Specialists, we offer a bimonthly stand-alone rodent service or quarterly recurring services through our home pest control services. We are committed to meeting the unique needs of each of our customers. Our experienced and dedicated professionals use high-quality products to remove the threat of rodents from Collegeville properties. For more information about our rodent control offerings, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our professionals.
How can I prevent rodents in the future?
Because rodents can cause many problems, making changes around your property is essential to make it less comfortable for rodents. Use the following tips to prevent problems with rodents:
- Cut back overgrown shrubs and bushes from your home’s exterior that can provide rodents with harborage and hiding spots.
- Store firewood piles well away from your house.
- Place all trash bags in trash cans with tight-fitting lids until trash day.
- Remove yard debris and clutter that can provide these prey animals with safe shelter.
- Get rid of potential water sources like leaky faucets, hoses, and pet water dishes.
Guarding your home against rodent activity is a year-round commitment. Reach out today to learn about ongoing rodent control in Collegeville, PA.
