Pest Control for Rodents

Rodents are usually black, gray, or brown in color. Their fur can be either glossy and sleek or dull and bristly. Most have small black eyes, rounded ears, and some sort of tail. Many also possess sharp claws on their feet that help them climb trees or dig tunnels. Gifted climbers, like mice and rats, have long tails, while burrowing rodents, such as voles and gophers, have short tails.

Types of Nusiance Wildlife Rodents

• Mice
• Rats 
• Squirrels
• Voles
• Gophers
• Chipmunks
• Beaver
• Muskrat

If you are concerned you have rodents in your home or yard, call Critter Control to conduct an inspection.

As they are some of the most diverse mammals on the planet, rodents can be found in various habitats. Open grasslands, forests, deserts, tropical jungles, and even arctic environments host rodents. While some rodent species live high off the ground in trees and attics, others live in underground burrows. Some species even build their nests in secluded places beneath bushes or within the walls of houses. Many rodents are social and live in large colonies.

If you suspect a rodent is living on your property, contact Critter Control. Our experts can correctly identify which rodent it is and handle its removal safely, humanely, and according to local and state regulations.

Rodents are clever, and if your home offers food, water, and shelter, they will view it as a potential long-term place to live, raise a family, and build a nest inside. The smallest species, mice, can squeeze their bodies through holes as narrow as half an inch in diameter, the size of a dime. Rodents will climb, run, jump, and chew into your home. Your home is not the only structure at risk. Rodents will invade barns, sheds, warehouses, office buildings, and food processing factories.

Signs of a rodent infestation can be evident when searching for them directly. However, some signs may be overlooked as life gets busy and you have other stressors. Also, not everyone knows all the signs rodents leave behind, so hiring professional rodent control is the best solution.

Examples of rodent signs can include the following:

• Chew or gnaw marks on wires, cables, carpets, wood, drywall, cabinets, shingles, siding, etc.
• Nesting materials are found in dark places within your home, such as the attic, basement, crawlspace, or chimney. They may include items found inside and outside your home.
• Feces, droppings, and urine trails are especially prevalent in homes with mice and rats. The trails typically lead from the nest to the food source, primarily along the edges of walls and appliances.
• Unusual noises come from your walls, ceilings, attic, vents, or other home areas, likely at night when you are trying to sleep. Noises may include rustling, scratching, running, squeaking, and other forms of communication.

If you have pets, they will likely notice a rodent infestation before you do. If your pets behave abnormally and seem obsessed with a particular space, it could mean a rodent is present.

You can expect various damages to your home with a rodent infestation. They cause structural damage to wood beams and faulty wiring, leading to electrical shorts and fires. Rodents shred insulation for their nests, scratch holes in drywall, urinate inside walls, and damage lawns, fields, and irrigation systems by burrowing. Rodents have teeth that grow throughout their lifetime, meaning they must chew and gnaw on things to keep them filed to avoid pain. Pipes, wood, plastic, vinyl, shingles, and other materials are prime targets. Most rodents can chew a hole from the outside to the inside of your home.

Not only do rodents constantly need to chew, they also breed often. Squirrels breed twice per year with the potential to have almost 20 offspring each year, while mice/rats can breed up to 10 times per year and have the potential to have well over 100 offspring per year. This means 100 times the damage to your home. Rodents will create more nests, holes, chew marks, and larger amounts of feces and urine that can grow mold spores harmful to you and your family.

Finally, rodents contaminate food and gnaw entrance holes in the exterior of buildings, allowing other pests to gain access to homes.

Each rodent can carry different diseases, some of which can infect humans if bitten or scratched. Rodents are also known to harbor fleas, lice, mites, and other insects that also have diseases. For example, many rodents carry deer ticks, which are responsible for people contracting Lyme disease. Examples of other diseases include leptospirosis, Hantavirus, plague, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and tularemia.

Controlling rodents may not be as easy as it sounds, so hiring a professional is key to success. Your safety, humane trapping and removal, and sanitization must be priorities. Not all homeowners know the processes to complete these tasks. Critter Control has the expertise.

Experts will implement specific steps to get the job done, including sealing your home and eliminating all entry points rodents may use. Regular cleaning and sanitation help eliminate potential food sources that entice rodents indoors. However, if the pests have already infested your home, avoid the temptation to handle or remove them without professional assistance. Without proper training, you risk being injured or contracting diseases.

Modifying your house using exclusion methods can limit infestation problems and keep rodents out. Exclusion methods include:

• Caulking cracks in foundations.
• Capping chimneys.
• Installing mesh covers over vents.
• Enclosing entrances to crawlspaces and basements.

Hiring an expert rodent controller is key because even small gaps between roof joints or around utility pipes may let these animals inside. Critter Control’s experts have the right tools and expertise to keep rodents out of the house following safe and humane guidelines.

The type of rodent found in your home will determine what trap should be used. Each species may require different traps and bait.

• With squirrel trapping, the most common removal methods are live trapping, one-way doors, deterrents, and direct capture.
• When removing mice, the most effective method is using mouse traps.
• When removing rats, use the correct rat traps.

Many types of snap, glue, and live capture traps are commercially available. However, incorrectly placing baits or traps can make rodent infestations worse and lead to further damage. Contact the pest control experts at Critter Control to handle rodent infestations most effectively and humanely.

Critter Control specializes in several rodent control services, including rat removal and mouse control, rodent damage control, rodent management, rodent prevention, and residential and commercial rodent control. Our company comprises certified wildlife specialists and animal control operators trained with the most advanced rodent control techniques, ranging from rodent control through trapping to rodent damage repair, prevention, and exclusion services.

Whether you have a rodent control problem for one pesky rodent or an infestation, we have expert rodent control services to help eliminate your rodent problems! Critter Control can install rodent traps and repair any points of entry to ensure that your rodent control problems won’t continue at your home or office.

Many factors determine the cost of rodent control, such as the type of rodent causing problems in your home and the number of rodents to remove. If there are newborn offspring to remove, additional techniques may be necessary. In addition, some rodent removal services may require obtaining a permit for trapping and removal.

Our experts at Critter Control will provide a detailed explanation of services at no cost to you.