Rodent Identification & Prevention

Mice, rats, and other types of rodents belong to the order Rodentia which means "to gnaw." Scientists group rodents together because they all have continuously growing, chisel-like front incisors they use to gnaw and cut through objects. In order to stop these teeth from overgrowing, rodents constantly chew on things they come across. Trees to dining room tables are used as teething toys by rodents.

Mice are rodents with small oval bodies and small triangular heads. Their ears and tails have a light layer of velvety fur. Adult rats are typically larger than adult mice. They have large blunt heads, and their ears and scaly tails are hairless. Light brown, dark brown, gray, or black fur often covers the bodies of mice or rats. White or another lighter color fur typically covers their undersides.

Rodents are more than your typical nuisance household pests; they pose a significant threat to people and our properties. Some of the biggest dangers associated with a rodent infestation include the following:

• Fire hazard: When mice or rats chew through wires in a home, they can trigger electrical shorts and fires.
• Health risk: Mice and rats carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites on their bodies and in their feces, urine, and saliva that cause diseases in people. Additionally, their shed feces and fur emit allergens that trigger allergies and asthma attacks.
• Food waste: Rodents will get into and consume your family's stored foods. Any food touched by a rodent needs discarding.
• Destruction: When rodents are in our homes, they chew on, dig through, and otherwise damage furniture, clothing, rugs, cabinets, and walls.

At the sign of a rodent problem in or around your home, reach out to a professional for help.

Rodents can become a problem in and around any of our California homes. While people often associate rodent infestations with cold weather, the truth is that rodentswill enter our homes at any time of the year.

Some things may make your home more likely to experience rodent problems. If you have an older home, the exterior likely has many cracks and crevices that provide rodents with entry and exit points. If you live in an area currently under development, rodents will migrate and often take up residence in surrounding homes. And finally, sudden weather events cause mice and rats to seek shelter within our homes.

Mice and rats are curious, intelligent creatures and, over time, have learned that where we live provides them with the things they need to live comfortably. Food, water, and safe, dry shelter are within the walls of our houses, and these opportunistic pests won't hesitate to take advantage.

When mice and rats move into our homes to nest, they don't fill out a renter's agreement; they are squatters and therefore do their best to stay out of our sight.

Rodents are prey animals and prefer to nest in quiet, out-of-the-way places. Basements, attics, crawl spaces, wall voids, and the backs of cabinets and appliances are common places to discover nests and rodent activity.

The best way to remove California rodents from your home and keep them out is to get assistance from a local professional. Here at The Termite Guy, we offer general pest control and rodent exclusion services; our goal is to help you keep your home pest-free. We guarantee the quality of our services and tailor our services to meet the individual needs of the homes and families we serve. Contact us to learn more about working together to keep rodents out of your house throughout the year!

Rodents like living near people, which can make preventing problems with them difficult. The following prevention tips and regular rodent control services will make rodents think twice about calling your property home.

• Clear any yard debris, fallen trees, and woodpiles from your yard that offer harborage sites.
• Don't place bird feeders near your home.
• If you feed pets outside, make sure to pick up uneaten food.
• Cut back tree branches, shrubbery, and other landscaping from your home's exterior.
• Carefully inspect your home's exterior from top to bottom and repair any defect that rodents can use as entry points. Mice can move through spaces the diameter of a pencil.
• Keep food in your house out of the reach of rodents by storing it either in the fridge or airtight containers with locking lids. 
• Regularly clean your home to remove crumbs and other food debris. Clear areas of clutter rodents could hide within.

Learn more about rodent control and home pest control in Orange, Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties by calling today!