You may have heard the nursery rhyme about the three blind mice. If you’ve ever had a mouse infestation, you understand why the farmer’s wife chased them with a butcher knife! Mice, and other rodents, can be huge nuisance pests. They can be difficult to get rid of and can cause a lot of headaches for you. Plus they can cause property damage and transmit dangerous diseases. Rodents are not a pest you want to put up with! Find out why they’re especially active this time of year and how to keep them out of your house.
Springfield Rodents
There are many types of rodents that can make their home inside your house this fall. In Springfield, you may encounter house mice, field mice, roof rats, or Norway rats. Mice and rats don’t like cold temperatures, so they look for a place to wait out the winter. Rodents are attracted to the warmth and security of your house. They may build nests in attics, basements, closets, and other storage areas. They might also live inside the walls or in crawl spaces around your house.
Rodent Infestations
How do you know you have a rodent infestation? Mice and rats are great at hiding. In fact, you may never see the rodents themselves. What you will see is evidence of rodents in your home. You may first notice that your food has been broken into, there may be gnaw marks on boxes or bags that have been opened from the bottom. You may see gnaw marks on furniture or along the baseboards. Mice also leave droppings and urine around the house, and you may hear them scurrying along the walls, ceilings, and floors at night.
Infestations are dangerous because rodents cause damage and disease. They gnaw almost constantly, so they can cause a lot of property damage. Aside from your belongings, they can damage plumbing, wiring, or even the structure of your home. Even more concerning, mice and rats are carriers of diseases such as typhus, leptospirosis, salmonella, and many other diseases. Don’t risk the spread of these diseases to yourself or your family.
Rodent Prevention
The best prevention tip is to clean, clean, clean. Mice and rats are mostly attracted to food. Eliminate their food sources. Clean food messes immediately. Keep food in airtight storage containers. Don’t leave pet food sitting out. Don’t leave food on the counter overnight.
If rodents get into your home, you can use traps to help keep the population down. However, rodents breed quickly, and a few traps in the corners won’t eliminate the entire problem. Instead, let American Pest Solutions step in to help. The best rodent repellent comes with our years of experience in dealing safely with pests. Instead of chasing mice around (blind or otherwise) with a knife, or dealing with traps, let American Pest Solutions bring a solution that actually works.