What Durham Property Owners Need To Know About Effective Rodent Control

Types Of Rodents Common To The Area

There are a variety of rodents in Durham, but we can group them into three camps: rodents that only live in your yard, rodents that might live in your home for a short time, and rodents that think living with you is a pretty sweet deal. Let's quickly look at each.

Rodents In Your Yard: We have some lawn rodents that can present a problem every once in a while. These animals burrow in the ground and eat plants. Their burrowing activities can damage grass and plant roots, and their above-ground foraging can damage the vegetation on your property. The good news is that they don't get into homes because they're ground rodents. Your home does not provide a suitable environment for them to live. An example of this kind of rodent is a vole.

Rodents That Enter By Accident: Some rodents enter your home but don't prefer to live with you. In this group, some are worse than others. A chipmunk rarely finds an indoor habitat suitable for its needs, while a squirrel can get into a home and stay all winter. You can manage these pests with pest-proofing.

House Rodents: When you hear the word rodent, what two rodents come to mind? Rats and mice, right? The reason you think of these two rodents is that they don't just invade Durham homes; they get into homes and stay. Rats and mice find homes suitable for habitation because they feel like the habitats they prefer in nature, like a hollowed-out log, tree hole, or pile of wood. In your home, rats and mice will chew holes through food packaging to get food for survival, or they will simply go outside to get the food they need. The worst of all home-invading rodents is the house mouse. These little rodents can survive on crumbs and grow large indoor populations. The primary control method homeowners can use is food control. You can control food with sanitation, trash management, and storing kitchen foods in sealed containers.

You are on your way to becoming a rodent expert. Let's look at some of the ways rodents present a risk to health and property, and use the information to help broaden your rodent control knowledge.

Rodents Can Spread Disease And Damage Property

We'll focus on rats, mice, and the occasional squirrel invader for this article. These are the rodents that present the greatest risk to health and property. They invade your home, explore indoor spaces, and do things we're sure you don't want them to do.

• Wild animals are not trained to go outside to use the restroom. They will leave their feces and urine as they explore. Their waste material is a health hazard as it can contain harmful pathogenic organisms. Waste left on insulation, stored items, or around your home, can damage the materials.
• Rats and mice are scavengers. If they find a bite to eat in your kitchen or pantry, they will frequently visit areas you don't want them to explore. As they get into your food, they can contaminate the food items and packaging. Squirrels tend to stay in your attic and don't prefer indoor food sources.
• All rodents are furry animals that pick up ticks and fleas. If they get the wrong kind of ticks or fleas, they can present a hazard to you, your kids, and your pets. Ticks and fleas are linked to many diseases.
• All rodents chew holes. The holes they chew may require repair, which is costly. They can also chew holes that allow secondary pests, moisture, and mold to enter your home. Most of the damage they do is to insulation and other building materials. 
• Rodents chew on wires. If a wire is cut, it can cause a spark, and a spark can produce a fire under the right circumstances.

It is best to keep your home rodent-free. When it comes to rodent control and removing rodents from your home, it is best to contact The Eco Man Pest Solutions for professional service. Rodents are clever and elusive pests. If you don't have rodents in your home yet, there are ways to prevent them from finding their way inside.

Four Simple Yet Effective Rodent Exclusion Tips

When you understand how rodents behave, rodent control is simple to understand. We'll take what we've discussed so far, add a few key facts, and break down how rodent prevention works. Let's start on the outside of your home.

1. Give Rodents Fewer Reasons To Come Near

Rats, mice, and squirrels have different reasons for coming near your foundation and exterior walls. When you remove attractants, you reduce the chances that a rodent will enter your home.

• Squirrels are easy to control. Refrain from feeding them and they won't get the wrong idea and decide to live with you. Combine this with trimming tree branches away from your roofline and you shouldn't have trouble with squirrels.
• Rats and mice are harder to deter. The first step is to remove ground objects in your yard. These two kinds of rodents have terrible eyesight. They use their other senses to navigate. Touch is extremely important for a rat or mouse. Pick up ground objects so your yard feels like a big, open, and intimidating space.
• Rats and mice follow appealing smells. Keep in mind that what appeals to a rodent is not what appeals to you. The scent of garbage will lure these rodents from a distance and can bring them close to your home even if your yard is devoid of ground clutter. Step one is to keep your trash receptacles clean, covered, and well-managed.
• Rats, mice, and squirrels love birdseed. Seeds that fall from bird feeders will invite rodents to live on your property. Move feeders to a distant point or put them in locations that are inaccessible to rats and mice.

Consider all of the food resources that may attract rodents to the exterior of your home. Remove food, protect food sources, and address smells. 

2. Give Rodents Fewer Openings To Explore

When rodents explore your exterior, small openings will attract them. They'll turn those tiny holes or gaps into larger entry points. You can prevent this by applying materials to fill in or cover openings.

• Apply caulk around pipes and wire conduits.
• Fill in voids with expanding foam.
• Replaced damaged sweeps and weatherstripping.
• Patch screens.
• Fill gaps between wood members.

No entry point is too small. Remember that you're removing the attraction of a small hole, not just removing openings they can fit through.

3. Give Rodents Fewer Routes To Follow

Rodents enter homes by running along power lines, working their way up through downspouts, scaling pipes on the sides of homes, jumping from tree branches, and using other routes. Consider the routes a rodent might use and address them.

4. Give Rodents Fewer Food Options Inside

The worst of all rodent pests is the house mouse. It eats 15 to 20 times a day. If you control indoor food options by cleaning up crumbs, protecting pet food, and sealing pantry foods in sealed containers, they may decide to live somewhere else. Mice are motivated to live near food resources.

Apply a combination of these preventative steps and you'll effectively exclude rodents from your home. If you're unable to address these conducive conditions, consider professional assistance. Our technicians can seal entry points, apply bait stations, and use other management methods to prevent rodents from getting into your home.