A Successful Rodent Control Solution For Your Concord Home

Do you know why rodents outsmart people? It is usually because people underestimate rodents. When rodents successfully evade traps and other control methods, they're allowed to continue to present a threat to health and property. Join us as we look at the traits and behavior patterns of common rodents in Concord, how they avoid control methods, and what happens when they do. We'll also share prevention tips that can help you avoid rodent problems or help you keep rodents out of your home after removal. If you need rodents removed, get professional assistance by contacting Peeler Environmental. We provide advanced, science-based pest control in Concord. We'll help you find an effective solution that is right for you.    

Characteristics Of Common Rodents

Rodents are smart, resourceful, and talented animals. Their unique abilities allow them to enter Concord homes and evade control methods. Let's take a look at a few key characteristics.

  • Rodents can jump. House mice are little rodents, but they can leap over a foot into the air! Rats are larger and can leap even higher. When you're trying to keep rats and mice out of your home, it is critical to keep this in mind.  
  • Rodents can climb. They use their claws to cling to surfaces and climb up the sides of certain homes the way squirrels scramble up trees. You need to consider the possibility that even a tiny mouse can make its way up to gable vents and get into your home. Apply hardware cloth in gable vents to prevent rodents from accessing your attic. Also, keep in mind that mice and rats scramble up trees as well, so when working to keep them out, be sure to trim branches away from your roofline so rodents can't get onto your roof. 
  • Rodents squeeze through small gaps. If a rodent can fit its head through a gap, it can get the rest of its body through. While rats are big rodents, they can squeeze through gaps that are the width of a quarter. A little mouse can squeeze and wiggle its way through a gap the size of a dime. How do they do this? They do it by allowing their organs to move and shift inside their fleshy bodies. Consider every entry point in your exterior, no matter how small. If your home has cellar doors, check where the doors touch and run your eyes down to the bottom. If you see a small hole and grease marks, that is where rodents are entering your home.   
  • Rodents chew holes. A rat can chew through concrete—well, gnaw away at it anyway. They commonly get through small gaps around plumbing pipes that pass through foundations. If you want to keep rats out, don't underestimate what they can chew through. Mice also have an impressive ability to chew through building materials. 
  • Rodents can navigate in utter darkness. They use their senses of touch, smell, and hearing to find their way through pitch-dark environments. These senses also help them avoid traps in the dark. For example, a rodent may chance upon a spring trap, smell the oils from the skin of the human who set it, and completely avoid it.  
  • Rodents are fast. A rodent can move fast enough to avoid the spring on a spring-loaded trap, which is why you may find traps that are sprung, and the bait is completely gone. The rodent ate all of that bait after the trap snapped.
  • Rodents are smart. These critters naturally work together to avoid danger. For example, rodents in cages tend to avoid other rodents that are in pain. It is also possible for a rodent to learn first-hand that traps are dangerous and become trap-shy. 
  • Rodents may not eat what you think they eat. The cartoons you watched as a kid might have set you up for failure. Mice don't prefer cheese. You won't have much success in trapping mice if you put cheese on a spring-loaded trap.

Do you see the challenge? Domestic rodents are unique and formidable pests. Successful rodent control must take into consideration their natural abilities. 

How Rodents Create Damage And Spread Disease

When DIY rodent control falls short, rodents are allowed to continue doing all the things they were doing before the traps were set. You should know some of these things because it will motivate you to take the steps needed to keep even tiny rodents out of your home. 

  • A house mouse has the potential to set a house on fire. They chew on wires and gas lines. We can't give you a percentage of the risk. All we can say is that experts believe 20 to 25 percent of fires that result from unclear origins are likely rodent-related.
  • Rodents leave droppings and urine as they explore. These materials are considered to be a health concern.
  • Rodents pick up ticks and fleas as they crawl around outside. Like a dog or cat, rats and mice can bring these parasites indoors. Take a moment to look at resource pages at the CDC to learn about diseases spread by ticks and fleas.
  • Rodents damage homes and create holes that allow moisture to enter. If enough moisture enters, mold may result. Black mold is pernicious and can create a health hazard.
  • Rodents pick up bacteria when climbing in dirty places, such as trash receptacles. They transport these microorganisms in their fur and deposit them when they search for food in your pantry and kitchen. These can lead to stomach sickness.

Rodent control is hard work, but in light of the many ways these animals present a risk to health and property, it is worth the effort. Let's look at some methods to keep rodents out of your yard.     

How To Identify And Remove Factors That Attract Rodents

Before rodents scramble up a tree and jump onto your roof, and before they gnaw on building materials to get into your wall voids, they find reasons to enter your yard. The reasons are linked to the abilities we described in the first section of this article.

  • We discussed how mice can squeeze through small gaps, but there is more you should know. Rats and mice are actually drawn to tight spaces. If you offer them tight spaces, you'll attract them to your property. One example is a pile of stuff. A stack of branches, wood, rocks, storage containers, junk, etc. All of these will lure rodents, particularly Norway rats, into your yard.
  • Rodents have poor eyesight and use their other senses to navigate. They use these senses as a superpower and can easily find their way in utter darkness. But they need objects on the ground to help them do this. If your yard has no ground clutter, rats and mice will have difficulty getting from the edge of your property to your exterior walls.
  • Rodents have an incredible sense of smell. When they navigate in darkness, they can create a map in their minds of all the smells around them. It is amazing. What isn't so amazing is when they use their awesome smelling powers to detect the faint scent of trash. When you clean your receptacles and keep your trash completely covered, you remove a strong attractant that will lure rodents into your yard. 
  • Remember when we said rats and mice may not eat what you think? It is not commonly understood that birdseed is a strong attractant for rodents. If you have feeders hanging near the side of your home, those feeders will drop seeds next to your foundation. That is a recipe for disaster. Move bird feeders away from your exterior to remove this attractant.

When you remove food sources, clutter, and tight spaces on your property, you'll have natural protection from rats, mice, and also squirrels. In many cases, removing attractants, sealing entry points, and blocking access routes are all the control needed. But, if rodents enter your yard often, from an outside source, more control is needed.    

Professional Rodent Control Is The Best Solution

When you need rodents removed from your home or management of rodent pressures in your yard, professional rodent control is the way to go. A licensed professional will evaluate your property and provide a science-based solution. Your pest professional will work the problem and get results. 

If you're in Concord, contact Peeler Environmental for advanced rodent control solutions. We can help you find the right control services to address rodents that have invaded your space. The methods we use are smart and eco-friendly. We also stand apart from many other pest control service providers in that we offer lawn pest management. Your Peeler Environmental pest management professional may provide suggestions that are outside the wheelhouse of other service professionals. It pays to choose a company with the training and experience to give you impeccable service. Connect with us by hopping to our contact page, or you can connect with us the old-fashioned way. Give us a call. We're here to help you with all of your pest concerns and pest control needs.