Rodents are a common pest throughout Long Island, affecting homes and gardens. They are especially frequent winter visitors to homes as they will seek out the shelter and easy food source provided by a house during cold weather. Recognizing the signs of a rodent infestation and acting swiftly to counteract the problem is crucial to protecting your property. Left untreated, a rodent problem can swiftly grow to enormous proportions.
Some of the rodents frequently seen in Long Island include:
- House mice
- White-footed mice
- Field mice
- Black rats
- Norway rats
All of these pests can be destructive to your home due to their tendency to chew and burrow. They are also known to carry diseases, especially parasites, and their droppings can contaminate food stores.
Rodents are primarily social animals, and they reproduce very quickly. A single pair of rats can produce more than a thousand offspring in a year, and that number will multiply once the offspring reach sexual maturity around the age of three months.
Identifying a Rodent Problem
Rats and mice are shy, and you may not see them in your house until an infestation is well established. It should always be assumed that multiple rodents are living in the home if one is seen since these animals live in social colonies.
Signs of a rodent infestation include:
- Pellet-like droppings found throughout the home
- Signs of chewing, especially of fabric or the edge of food packages
- Hearing gnawing sounds
- Discovery of holes near the baseboards or similar locations
- Visible evidence of a mouse or rat
Many homeowners first discover a rodent problem when the food in their pantry becomes compromised by these opportunistic pests.
How Rodents Enter the Home
Protecting your home against rodent invasion is the first step to dealing with a mouse or rat problem. Rodents generally enter the home from outside through holes or gaps near the home’s foundation. They may build their nests in the crawl space, within the walls or in an attic.
Rodents are very flexible and can enter through extremely small spaces. A full-grown rat can squeeze through a space the size of a quarter. Mice can fit through even smaller spaces.
In the wild, rats and mice frequently live in well-protected areas like wood piles. Keeping these away from your home and maintaining a tidy yard can help to keep rodents from visiting your property. Once rats and mice are found in the home, however, it’s time to get expert assistance.
Professional Rodent Removal Services
Rodents are intelligent and can learn to avoid traps and poisons, making it important to tackle the rodent problem seriously and with a well-planned strategy. The pest control experts at All Care Pest Control know the best tactics to use for positive and long-lasting results, and our work is guaranteed. If you’ve noticed a rodent problem in your home, contact All Care today for a free service quote and more information about what we can do to protect your home from unwanted pests.
