Rodents

The thought of rats, mice, and other rodents in your home is enough to put a shiver down your spine. The fear is almost primal. There is a greater concern, more than the physical damage these pests can cause in your home. Rodents, more so the fleas carried by rodents carry an ancient disease, one that goes back to the middle ages and has killed millions, the plague. Bubonic plague is by far the most common of the three types of plague, accounting for eighty to 95% of all cases. According to ABC News, “In the U.S., the areas where the plague is more common include northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon and western Nevada.” 

The House Mouse is a pesky creature is not one to take lightly. The females can start breeding at 8 weeks old and have been reported to produce as many as 50 young in a year. The House Mouse is known to carry parasites and transmit bacterial and viral diseases to humans. They can exist without free water if moist food is available. 

Black Rats, also known as Roof Rats, were introduced in the United States in the 1800’s. They are found in buildings, preferring attics, rafters, walls, and enclosed spaces, and along streams. They are common in both city and rural settings and can live in conjuncture with the Norway Rats. The Norway Rat is the most common rat in the United States, found in all 50 states. This rat is also known as the House Rat, Brown Rat, Sewer Rat and Gray Rat. It has brown fur on its back and can have yellow, grey, or white fur on its abdomen. Rats carry over 35 diseases. Both of these rats are able to spread disease to humans directly through handling and bites; indirectly by contact with feces, urine, or saliva and from the ticks, mites, or fleas they carry. https://www.neha.org/vector/norway-rat-brown-rat-wharf-rat-house-rat-gray-rat-or-sewer-rat

If you suspect rats may be in your home, there are some tell tale signs. Rats are territorial and have a hierarchy within the group. To mark their territory and place within the ranks, rats will urinate everywhere they go. If the strong smell of urine is present in your home, that is a clear sign that you may have an issue. Rat feces in the shape of pellets will be found along walls, behind furniture, in food storage areas and areas where water can be found. Rats will leave 35-50 droppings per day, per rat, so these will be very apparent. Bits of shredded materials will also be found all over as rats will eat, mate, and nest. Female rats can reproduce up to 15 times a year. Juvenile rats can get into your home through a hole as small as the diameter of a quarter. These holes can be made in the exterior of your home when rats scratch or chew on concrete. Rats’ teeth are always growing, and they will chew on the concrete to grind down their teeth. Call us today for a free estimate. We will come out and inspect the outside of your house for the openings that the rodents are getting in to, get them sealed up and make your home rodent proof. We will then get started on getting rid of any infestation you may have. At Air 2 Ground Pest Control, we are experts in rodent exclusion and elimination.