Few things can negatively affect a homeowner, like a rodent infestation. If you have never had to deal with rats or mice crawling around inside your walls, you are fortunate. These pests are annoying, dangerous, and incredibly destructive. To help you keep rodents out of your Long Island home, here is a practical guide and a secret control tip that most homeowners don't consider.
How To Tell The Difference Between Rats & Mice
Several different kinds of rodents live in our area. Thankfully, most species have no interest in invading homes. The two types of rodents you should be most worried about are rats and mice. Although these pests have many features and traits in common, they are very different. Mice are small rodents with round bodies, large ears, and thinly-haired tails. The most common mouse in our area is the house mouse. This pest has dusty gray fur and a cream-colored underbelly. Although both mice and rats can squeeze through gaps, cracks, and holes, the house mouse can fit through openings the width of a nickel. Rats need much larger openings and are generally larger and longer than mice. Two common species of rats in our area include the Norway rat and the roof rat. Both of these pests have brown fur with intermixed black hairs; however, Norway rats are a bit bigger, and roof rats are more agile. One thing all rodents have in problem is their strong front incisor teeth. Both rats and mice use their teeth to chew through things like walls, storage boxes, and doors
All The Problems Rodents Can Create Around Your House
Wild rodents are annoying, but annoying is not the worst these pests have to offer. The real problems come with the diseases they spread, the parasitic pests they carry, and the damage they do. Rodents like rats and mice spread diseases through their fecal droppings and urine. You'll find these harmful sickness vector pests in the backs of pantries, inside boxes of compromised stored food, and other places rodents hide. As for parasitic pests, rodents carry both fleas and ticks. Both of these small blood-feeding bugs spread diseases through their bites and are harmful to both humans and animals. Finally, rodents cause damage to property with their strong teeth. Sometimes they use their teeth for necessities like chewing holes through walls or tearing up insulation, paper, or fabrics to build their nests. Other times they just chew on the legs of furniture and other items for fun.
Six Simple & Effective Rodent Prevention Tips For Your Home
If you are looking for ways to avoid a rodent infestation in Long Island, we recommend putting some prevention tips in place. Here are six basic tips and tricks to use today.
- Address moisture issues.
- Make sure to seal your home's exterior properly.
- Keep your living areas clean and tidy.
- Store food inside airtight containers.
- Keep trash bins clean and make sure they have tight-fitting lids.
- Hire a rodent control specialist to rodent-proof your home.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of A Rodent Infestation In Your House
The best way to get rid of rodents is to hire a Long Island pest control professional. Let the experts at Ultimate Pest Control help make quick work of your rodent problem. It all starts with a detailed inspection which allows us to assess the size of your infestation and put in place a plan of action to get rodents out fast.
Call us now to request a quote for your home and find out why Ultimate Pest Control is your best option for home pest control in Long Island.
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