Whether it’s the dead of summer or the beginning of fall, you can’t mistake the signs. Droppings in the hallway. Chewed up food packagings. A faint musty odor.
Uh-oh. You have a rodent problem. If you suspect you have a problem with rats and mice, you need to take action today to get rid of these quickly-reproducing pests.
Differentiating Between Mice and Rats
Before you can effectively remove a rodent problem in your home or business you need to first identify what kind of problem you have. While rats and mice are similar in terms of their behavior and appearance as well as the threats to your health and safety that they pose – there are some key differences between the two that are vital to understanding if you want to get rid of them.
For starters, rats tend to be much larger than mice. Either species can be brown, gray, or white, but rats can also be black. Rats have short whiskers and a short snout, along with tails that lack any hair. Instead, these tails have a series of scales.
Mice, on the other hand, have a tail that is somewhat hairy. They have long whiskers and a snout that is shaped like a triangle. They also have floppy ears.
Why are Mice and Rats a Problem?
Mice, rats, and other rodents reproduce quickly and are found most often in homes during the fall and winter months.
Why?
As the weather cools, these pests come inside looking for a place to spend the winter.
Getting rid of mice and rats as soon as you can is crucial to maintaining a clean and healthy home. Because these rodents breed so quickly, identifying and eradicating them just as quickly will help prevent a small infestation from becoming a major problem.
You might wonder why you can’t simply coexist in peace with these pests. While a rodent or two here or there isn’t a major issue, an infestation can spell disaster. These pests can spread a whole host of diseases, from salmonella to rabies and even rat-bite fever.
How Can You Prevent Mice and Rats?
Prevention is the easiest way to reduce the likelihood of a rat or mice infestation growing out of hand. To start with, seal up any cracks, holes, or gaps on both the exterior and interior walls of your building. Any gaps that are larger than a ¼ of an inch provide a potential entry point to an opportunistic rodent. You should also install weather strips at the base of all exterior doors.
It can also be beneficial to trim back any plants, overgrown branches, or bushes near the building. Dispose of trash on a regular basis and make sure all food is stored in tightly-sealed containers -even if you have your food store behind closed doors.
Need A Rodent Exterminator?
Sick of dealing with rodents in your home? You shouldn’t have to tolerate these unpleasant, unwanted visitors. Instead of merely making it through implementing your own expensive, ineffective DIY solutions, consider hiring the best pest control company in Nassau County.
We are a full-service commercial and residential extermination company. Because we are family-owned and operated, you know you can count on us to get the job done every time. Reliable and fully insured, Liberty Pest Pros guarantees that you will be satisfied with our full range of pest control services.
We work with you every step of the way to make sure your every need is met and any questions you may have are answered. We even offer organic and all-natural pest eradication and prevention treatments if you so desire.
So what are you waiting for? If you’re ready to say goodbye to the foreign invaders in your home, give Liberty Pest Pros a call today.