Fall is a time when rodents are likely to invade nice warm homes to settle in for the winter, but your home doesn't have to be one of those homes. All rodents share one very important characteristic, their teeth are highly specialized for gnawing. Rodents have a single pair of upper, and a single pair of lower incisors, followed by a gap, followed by one or more molars or premolars. These incisors are different from other animals in that they are rootless and never stop growing. During gnawing, these incisors grind against each other and, very effectively, sharpen each other, leaving these teeth like the blade of a chisel. While this is all well in good out in nature, it is not such a good thing when rodents start chewing on your home.
When rodents find a way inside a home and take up residence, they bring with them a whole host of problems. And if they are left alone to breed and multiply, the problems get exponentially worse as time goes on. Here are a few of the issues you are likely to encounter with a rodent infestation:
- Chewing: Rodents have to constantly wear down their ever-growing teeth, so they will chew on anything from wood and plastic to special items you have stored in your attic, to electrical wiring. In any case, they are being destructive and, in chewing wires, they could possibly cause a house fire.
- Urine and feces: Rodents are not picky about where they leave their waste. Wherever they roam there can be urine and droppings left behind. This may be especially noticeable in the backs of kitchen drawers or under cabinets.
- Parasites: When rodents invade a home, they don't just stay inside. They go in and out and pick up all kinds of creatures on their fur, parasites such as fleas, mites, lice, and ticks, all of which come with their own set of problems.
- Disease-causing filth: Parasites are not the only things rodents carry with them. They are also known to carry filth on their bodies and in their excrement that can be the vector for a wide variety of illnesses and diseases.
Things A Homeowner Can Do To Keep Rodents Out
- Declutter your property: Rodents love places to hide, so decluttering and keeping your yard neatly trimmed will go a long way in keeping rodents at bay.
- Trim bushes and trees away from your foundation and walls: This way rodents and other pests do not have easy access to your walls and roof areas.
- Seal up entry points: It doesn't take much of a hole for rodents to squeeze in. Carefully examine your foundation, walls, and roof area, and seal up all entry points you find.
- Don't feed the rodents: Keep the outside, and the inside, of your home free of water and food sources for rodents. If they don't find sustenance, they are unlikely to stick around.
If you want to be certain that rodents are removed from your home, and that no new rodents are getting in, the best course of action is to employ the assistance of a professional pest control company. American Pest Solutions has been helping folks in Hartford, Connecticut to be rodent-free since 1913. If you live in our Massachusetts or Connecticut service area, reach out to us today for prompt assistance.