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Homeowners in Dayton cannot ignore the potential risks associated with mice, rats, and rodents. These pests create a plethora of problems for Dayton residents. For instance, they’re going to make you sick by contaminating your food sources. In addition to this, they can destroy your furniture and belongings. It is pertinent to find a way to deal with the infestation swiftly. Before you can do that, you need to know what you’re dealing with. Which species could it be? In our area, locals often deal with specific species of rats and mice. They’ll be explored in greater depth below.
Common Mice Species In Dayton
In Dayton, the two most common mice species are house mice and deer mice. They’ll create similar problems in your home. However, the rodents have slightly different appearances. House mice are small rodents that barely have any hair. Its nose is slightly pointed and black. House mice have large ears and protruding eyes. They can have several colors, including black or light brown. Their bellies are often gray or buff. When house mice leave droppings in your home, their feces will be small, black, and musty. We often encounter deer mice in our area. These bi-colored mice have white feet, bellies, and undersides. Their heads and upper backs are brown.
Their tails are much longer than what you’ll find on house mice. In some cases, their tails are longer than their bodies and heads combined. Deer mice have larger ears and eyes than house mice.
Common Rat Species In Dayton
Several rat species are found in Dayton, but the most common are Norway rats and roof rats. Both are commensal so they’re going to live and thrive in residential structures. They share a house with humans so they can eat human food. Norway rats are larger than roof rats, but the difference is not staggering. As for Norway rats, their bodies often reach 9 inches in length. They have blunt noses and coarse brown hair. Their tails can be as short as 6 inches or as long as 8 inches. Their droppings are usually three-quarters of an inch with blunt ends. As the name suggests, roof rats prefer living in upper levels of homes.
They grow from 6 to 8 inches in length and have smooth brown fur. Their noises are pointed and their tails can sometimes reach 10 inches in length. Their droppings are smaller with most being half an inch in length. If you have rats in your home, they’re going to leave droppings everywhere. They’ll also leave chew marks on your furniture, baseboards, and food containers.
Signs Of Rodent Infestations
It is wise to find out how to identify a rodent infestation. Once you’ve found out how to do that, you’ll be able to identify the problem and tackle it much sooner. Once pests invade your home, you’re going to find several signs. For instance, you’re going to find rodent droppings in your home. You’ll also find damage to baseboards and food containers. Check for the following signs so you can confirm that you’re dealing with an infestation.
- Rodent droppings will show up around your home. They’re primarily found near feeding and nesting spots.
- Rodents will begin building small nests in your home. Their nests are generally made of twigs, grass, and materials collected from your home.
- You’re going to find damage to your home and belongings. For instance, you’ll find chew marks on your food containers and baseboards.
- You can likely hear them at night. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you’ll hear them scurrying through your walls.
If you’ve noticed some of these things, call a professional exterminator immediately. These pests are not going to leave your home on their own.
Learning To Identify Mouse Droppings
Many homeowners realize they have a problem once they discover mouse droppings in their homes. You need to find out how to identify rodent droppings so you can take steps to fix the issue before it makes someone sick. What do rodent droppings look like? The size of the droppings depends on the species. However, they generally range in size from 3 to 6 millimeters. They’re granular and look like a piece of rice. Although they’re normally found near nesting spots and breeding areas, they can be found anywhere in the home. They’ll also be found where rodents consume food.
Reasons For Mice, Rats, & Rodents
Why will mice, rats, and rodents invade your residence? Why would they want to live in your home? Ultimately, the pest species are commensal. As a result, these pests prefer sharing a home with humans. They do this because they’re able to obtain food, shelter, and water when living in a human residence. These pests want to enter your home so they can access your food and water. Your home gives them everything they need to survive and thrive. Rodents are large but many of them can enter residences through the smallest holes. They can enter holes as little as a quarter of an inch in diameter. They’ll enter through unpredictable and unexpected spots.
Primary Rodent Risks
Do not ignore a rodent infestation because doing so will come back to haunt you. Unfortunately, a handful of risks are linked to rodent infestation. Mice, rats, and rodents pose numerous problems because they are going to leave urine and feces around your home. There is a chance that they’ll leave droppings in your food and drinks. If you don’t notice it, you might consume it and get ill. Furthermore, these pests are going to spread a handful of illnesses. Rodents can spread Lassa Fever, Hemorrhagic Fever, Rat-Bite Fever, Plague, and more. You’ll also need to worry about your pets. Rodents can carry and transport fleas and ticks. If they enter your home, your pets may run into fleas and ticks.
Another issue that you have to worry about is structural damage. Rodents have to frequently chew on things so they can prevent their front teeth from growing too large. They’ll chew on furniture, drywall, baseboards, and other items in your home. The problem needs to be dealt with to prevent these pests from severely damaging your home and belongings. Finally, you should worry about rodents chewing through electrical cables. If it happens, an electrical fire could occur.
Rodent Infestations Risks
- Rodents can contaminate your food sources by leaving behind urine and droppings
- These pests can spread several serious illnesses, including swine dysentery, Hantavirus, and salmonella
- They’ll cause structural damage because they constantly chew on furniture and other objects
- They’ll chew through electrical cords and increase the risk of an electrical fire
Getting Rid Of Mice, Rats, & Rodents
It is pertinent to quickly get rid of the mice, rats, and rodents in your home. There are numerous ways to achieve this goal, but only one is going to be right for you. You may contemplate fixing the problem on your own, but doing so will not be a good idea. The problem is that many DIY methods are ineffective and inefficient. These pests are hard to handle since most people can’t imagine picking up a rodent. We understand this wholeheartedly and hope you’ll let us help you. Our company offers comprehensive rodent removal services. Contact us and we’ll begin working hard to fix the problem for you.
When Can You Start?
Contact our Dayton office to speak to a qualified exterminator. We’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Our Treatments Are Safe
We provide our clients with safe treatments option. We work swiftly to ensure that the risks are eliminated as quickly as possible Our technicians use EPA-registered products to take care of this issue. Although conventional materials might be needed, we’re going to use them safely. We know how to use the precise amount needed and no more. Thankfully, this allows us to eliminate the rodents while keeping you safe.
Preventing Rodents From Invading Your House
Dealing with rodents won’t be easy. Therefore, it is best to keep them out in the first place. One way to do that is by making sure your home remains clean and tidy. If you can eliminate their food sources, you’ll convince these pests to go elsewhere. You’ll also want to take advantage of pest-proofing materials to keep rodents out of your home. Use these materials to properly seal your exterior walls, around windows, and around doors. Keep your grass cut to eliminate their hiding places.
- Keep your home clean. Try cleaning your home thoroughly at least once a day.
- Cut your grass. Keep your grass short to eliminate their hiding places.
- Use pest-proofing materials to keep these pests out of your home.
- Keep your food products stored in reliable containers.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
