What are rodents? They are classified as animals that have long incisors and fur on their bodies. If an animal has feathers, reptile skin, or scales, it isn't a rodent. We have a few common pests that are sometimes mistaken for rodents. A mole is a good example of this. Moles are yard pests that are similar to common yard rodents, but they don't have long teeth on the top and bottom. Join us as we look at the types of rodents we have in West Chester, how these rodents present a risk to human health, the challenges of DIY rodent control, and what works best to control rodents. If you have questions and would like to speak directly with a home pest management professional, connect with us. We're happy to help! In fact, we offer free rodent inspections. We can take a look at what you're dealing with and offer real solutions, in person. If you're just here to learn more about common rodent pests in West Chester, read on and enjoy.
Types Of Rodents Common To The Area
There are three basic types of rodents in West Chester. One group of rodents will stay in your yard and never enter your home. The second group prefers to stay in your yard but may get into your home for short periods of time. The last group is the worst. These are the rodents that like to get into homes and stay permanently. Here is a quick rodent list to help you figure out what rodents are creating problems on your property.
Voles: If you find runways in your lawn, tiny holes, or trees with bark missing at the base, you have a vole problem. These are backyard rodents that have no interest in entering your home.
Chipmunks: You're not likely to notice that you have a chipmunk problem because these little guys don't cause a lot of trouble. They typically stay outdoors and will only enter homes for a short time. The primary issue to deal with, regarding chipmunks, is plant damage.
Squirrels: These are big rodents that routinely appear in backyards. They are so common, you may think they never invade homes, but under the right conditions, they do. Pest-proofing and management of food sources in your yard can prevent an infestation. If squirrels do get into your home, they'll likely stay in your attic space. While up there, they can contaminate your insulation, damage stored items, and make noise.
Rats: We have two types of common rat pests. They are wood rats and roof rats. The worst of the two are roof rats. They enter homes, explore every level, and cause a lot trouble while moving about indoors. They are black in color. If you see a brown rat, you have wood rats; they can enter homes and do many of the same things roof rats do, but they may also live in a ground burrow outdoors and only visit the interior of your home.
Mice: The worst of all home rodents are house mice. They enter homes, stay permanently, grow a population quickly, and outsmart many mouse control products. At the first sign of these tiny rodents, it is wise to contact a professional. They are gray with cream-colored underbellies.
The Diseases Spread By Rodents
There are many ways rodents can cause trouble. Different types of rodents cause different issues. Yard rodents damage your lawn, ornamentals, and trees. Occasional invaders can damage your home and your belongings. Typically, we get a call when rodents make noise. But we don't recommend waiting to hear sounds of rodents in your attic or wall voids because rats and mice can live in your home without making any detectable noises. If they do, they can impact your health in several ways.
- Rats and mice can crawl in sewers and their body hairs can pick up microorganisms. They may carry several bacteria and parasitic worms, such as hookworms.
- Rats and mice climb in trash bins and dumpsters. They can pick up salmonella, E. coli, and other organisms in these places.
- Rats and mice crawl over their own waste and leave droppings where they sleep. Some diseases are spread through rodent feces, such as Hantavirus.
- Rats and mice carry ticks and fleas. These are associated with a long list of diseases that impact human health, such as Lyme disease, murine typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
We recommend checking out resources available on the CDC website to learn more about leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, tularemia, cowpox, trichinosis, ARDS, LCM, and other rodent-related illnesses. Rats, mice, and sometimes squirrels, present unique health risks when they enter homes. It is best to contact your local pest control service provider to address these pests when they enter your home. If you need assistance with rodents in West Chester, contact Masters Touch Pest Solutions.
Why DIY Rodent Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money
No rodent management guide is complete without looking at the pitfalls of doing it yourself. Rodents are small animals so they can seem like a small problem. But failing to address that small problem can allow rodents to continue to impact your health and damage your property as they grow a population within your home. They also chew on wiring and are considered a fire hazard. Here are a few reasons why DIY rodent control often falls short of addressing rat and mouse issues.
- Rodents have an extraordinary sense of smell. They can smell traps you've touched and may avoid them. They can also smell traps that have successfully caught other rodents and they will avoid them.
- Rodents have poor eyesight and often hug walls as they explore a home. Traps placed incorrectly will fail to capture rodents.
- Rodents may not eat what you think they eat. If you set a trap with cheese, don't expect to catch a mouse. They don't prefer cheese.
- Rodents are fast. Have you ever found a trap that sprang but no rodent was caught in it? A rat or a mouse is often fast enough to move out of the way of a swinging trap hammer.
- Rodents have skills. Have you ever found a trap with no food on it? A mouse can lick the latch clean without setting off a trap. It happens a lot more often than you might think.
- Traps do not provide a complete solution. If you manage to catch rats or mice, you can continually catch them for the rest of your life if you don't stop them from entering your home. Pest-proofing, monitoring, and bait stations work to keep rodents out.
- A rodent control program requires inspections, evaluations, and minor corrections. When rats or mice figure out one method of control, another is required to finish the job. It is hard to make these assessments and corrections without training in rodent control.
- Rats and mice reproduce quickly. If you seal entry points and manage to keep rodents from entering your home, you can continue to have an infestation. New rodent pests may not get in from the outside but they will continue to emerge from the momma rodents inside your home.
- Higher-than-normal rodent pressures in your yard and conducive conditions can make DIY rodent control impossible. It can feel like putting out a brush fire. You stop them in one area but they start to appear in another.
When you work hard to get rid of rodents and spend your hard-earned money, it is miserable to find out that your efforts have fallen short, particularly if you find out that rodents have caused damage you could have prevented. A common outcome of rodent infestation is extensive contamination of attic insulation. As you're working to stop what you think is one or two mice getting into your kitchen, you may have dozens in your attic, soiling your insulation. Do you see the scope of the problem?
The Trick To Stress-Free And Effective Rodent Control
It is not only difficult to control rats and mice in West Chester, it is also hard work. Let Masters Touch Pest Solutions help you get the results you want the first time. We use traps and field-tested methods to address rodents on the inside of your home. We apply ground-level exclusion work in key areas to stop rodents from entering your home. If you have high rodent pressures in your yard, we can use bait to cull rodent populations and reduce the number of rodents attempting to get into your home. Our methods are tried-and-true, and you can expect that we will follow-up as necessary to make sure no rodents remain inside your home.
We have all kinds of rodents in West Chester. When you're having problems with rodents in your yard or in your home, Masters Touch Pest Solutions can guide you toward the best course of action. We have the extensive experience to provide you with the highest level of service. Jump to our contact page and fill out the short form to connect with us, or simply give us a call. We're here to help you find answers to your pest questions and guide you toward effective and sustainable solutions.
