Contrary to popular mythology, and Mickey Mouse aside, rodents are a nuisance that can damage your home and endanger your family. These dangers can be as minor as damage to your wainscoting or as severe as life threatening illnesses, particularly if you live in a city that's a port town, where mice (and especially rats) can carry parasites from around the globe. Don't think of mice in the attic as being cute - think of them as a potential threat to your home value and your family.
Mice, rats and other hairy rodents can do quite a bit of physical damage to your home. Once they find their way into your home, they will chew their way into any area that looks appealing to them. One of the huge dangers of this is the possibility that they will chew threw electrical wiring causing a short.
Another problem is that rodents aren't sanitary, at all. They defecate everywhere they go, and since they like to live in your crawl spaces, this happens in places where you're not going to see it...until it gets overwhelming. Even worse, they use urine as a bonding material when they make nests; this keeps the nest warm, but makes parts of your baseboard smell like rat pee. It doesn't take much for rodents to make your home into theirs.
Beyond the dangers to your home, rodents are also bring with them many infectious parasites and diseases. Here are some examples.
Rickettsial Pox - This disease is similar to chicken pox and is carried by rodents, insects and pests like fleas and mites.
Salmonella - Food poisoning is a common problem when food comes in contact with saliva, urine or droppings of rats and mice.
Parasites - Many parasites can be transmitted to humans, particularly tapeworm and Trichinosis.
The Hantavirus - This potentially life threatening disease is spread via the inhalation of dust containing rodent droppings or urine.
Rat bite fever - This is rare disease, generally only transmitted through a bite.
The plague (pneumonic and bubonic) - This disease, carried by fleas and other mites that live on rodents, is thought by many to have been eradicated centuries ago; however cases are still reported today.
Now that the threat is a bit more real, let's look at countermeasures.
The first thing you must do is seal up cracks around pipes, windows, and doors. Even the smallest crack can allow entrance to your home for many rodents. An inexpensive tube of caulking will go a long way toward this end.
If they're already in the home, the best way to remove them is to have a cat; in addition to the rodents the cat kills, the smell of a cat and the knowledge that a predator is there will drive them out to greener pastures.
While not as effective as a good cat, glue traps and sticky boards are an effective way to control these pests, as are baited spring traps. The best baits are peanut butter, yogurt covered peanuts, and bits of bacon. Avoid using poisons; not only are they a risk to your children or pets, but you end up with rat carcasses rotting in inaccessible places. Leave poisoning rodents to professionals.
A small rodent infestation can be solved with any of these techniques; a larger infestation may need intervention from a professional exterminator. Definitely call an exterminator before using any kind of poison for rodents. - 16477
Mice, rats and other hairy rodents can do quite a bit of physical damage to your home. Once they find their way into your home, they will chew their way into any area that looks appealing to them. One of the huge dangers of this is the possibility that they will chew threw electrical wiring causing a short.
Another problem is that rodents aren't sanitary, at all. They defecate everywhere they go, and since they like to live in your crawl spaces, this happens in places where you're not going to see it...until it gets overwhelming. Even worse, they use urine as a bonding material when they make nests; this keeps the nest warm, but makes parts of your baseboard smell like rat pee. It doesn't take much for rodents to make your home into theirs.
Beyond the dangers to your home, rodents are also bring with them many infectious parasites and diseases. Here are some examples.
Rickettsial Pox - This disease is similar to chicken pox and is carried by rodents, insects and pests like fleas and mites.
Salmonella - Food poisoning is a common problem when food comes in contact with saliva, urine or droppings of rats and mice.
Parasites - Many parasites can be transmitted to humans, particularly tapeworm and Trichinosis.
The Hantavirus - This potentially life threatening disease is spread via the inhalation of dust containing rodent droppings or urine.
Rat bite fever - This is rare disease, generally only transmitted through a bite.
The plague (pneumonic and bubonic) - This disease, carried by fleas and other mites that live on rodents, is thought by many to have been eradicated centuries ago; however cases are still reported today.
Now that the threat is a bit more real, let's look at countermeasures.
The first thing you must do is seal up cracks around pipes, windows, and doors. Even the smallest crack can allow entrance to your home for many rodents. An inexpensive tube of caulking will go a long way toward this end.
If they're already in the home, the best way to remove them is to have a cat; in addition to the rodents the cat kills, the smell of a cat and the knowledge that a predator is there will drive them out to greener pastures.
While not as effective as a good cat, glue traps and sticky boards are an effective way to control these pests, as are baited spring traps. The best baits are peanut butter, yogurt covered peanuts, and bits of bacon. Avoid using poisons; not only are they a risk to your children or pets, but you end up with rat carcasses rotting in inaccessible places. Leave poisoning rodents to professionals.
A small rodent infestation can be solved with any of these techniques; a larger infestation may need intervention from a professional exterminator. Definitely call an exterminator before using any kind of poison for rodents. - 16477
About the Author:
Author: Darren K. Thompson offers information on pest control on his site where you can also discover tips to help handle termite infestations and other household pest problems.
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