While many pests are no more than an annoyance and nuisance around your property, rats and mice are the opposite. These rodents enjoy living close to our homes because we provide them with all of the food, water and harborage they need. Unfortunately the saliva, feces and urine of rodents may contain bacteria and viruses such as salmonella, coli and tuberculosis that are dangerous to you and your family. Rodents also carry fleas, ticks and mites that also carry dangerous diseases that cause long-term illnesses and health problems to members of your family at home or your employees at your business.
Rat and Mice Control
Rats and mice are nocturnal, seeking to hide from humans and other predators. For this reason, the first sign that you have rats or mice will most likely be that you see rodent droppings scattered about or hear scratching as they scurry within the walls or under floors in your home. You may also notice damage from their constant chewing or scratching. Rats and mice enjoy gnawing on wood, plastic and cabling; the chewing of electrical cables may cause a fire hazard to your property. You may also see chewing marks around food boxes and on any paper or boxes.
After a thorough rodent inspection, rat control is best achieved by forming a defensive barrier around your property and your yard.
Rodent Protection and Prevention
A-Tex Pest Management recommends sealing entry points and eliminating potential food sources. We advise sealing holes and cracks, especially those larger than half an inch in diameter, which small rats can crawl through. Further, any broken pipes should be repaired to remove these easy access points for rodents. To remove rodents from your home, we may use sprays, repellants and mousetraps.
Rodents must be eliminated quickly to remove the risk of infestation for your family and pets. Rodent removal should be carried out by professional experts like A-Tex Pest Management so that mice, roof rats and Norway rats can be disposed of efficiently and effectively.
Most Common Rodents in Phoenix
You do not need to know the differences between the various rodent species that you may encounter because our rodent control and removal experts at A-Tex Pest Management will understand the differences, habitat and lifestyles. However, we have prepared the following quick guide:
Roof rats – can be identified by their long tails. They can grow to 7 to 8 inches long and their body is covered in black fur. They enjoy our warm Austin climate and large availability of local food which is why they live near citrus trees, mature landscape and irrigation canals. Roof rats forage both indoors and outdoors at night and can easily climb wires, vines and trees to gain access into your home. They contaminate your food, chew wiring and use insulation as their nesting material. You may most likely hear roof rats before you ever get a glimpse of them
Norway rats – grow to between 8 and 10 inches long, are a brownish gray in color with a much shorter tail compared to the roof rat. Another nocturnal rodent, they can jump to a height of around 3 feet!
House mice – their heads and feet are much smaller than rats and they are often a gray color. House mice are also nocturnal and while they eat very little, they leave around 50 droppings on your property every day. They tend to live out of sight in warm areas such as clothing or insulation materials. They are adept at spreading disease, particularly salmonella which is why touching their feces can be dangerous, especially for small children.
If you see or hear rodents or notice the damaging effects they can cause, contact A-Tex Pest Management to protect your structure, belongings and the people that live in your home or work at your business.