Everybody loves coming home to a nice warm cozy house during those cold months. However, you may find that rodents feel the same way. With colder air on the way and food supplies harder to come by, many rodents look to houses for a place to ride out the winter, and 21 million American homes will be invaded each winter according to pest control experts. Usually eating seeds and plant life rodents food supply begins to dwindle during the winter months, because of this they seek food elsewhere and usually end up inside somebody’s house.
Easily gaining access through exterior cracks in your house mice and rats will make themselves at home. An opening as small as 1/2 inch can be big enough for a rodent to get into your home, and some mice may be able to make it through 1/4 inch holes. Pipes and trees that overhang your house can be exploited by the skilled climbing rodents to access your home through what you thought were secure utility openings and vents. Having rodents in your home can be bad for your health and dangerous. Thanks to their speedily growing teeth rodents have to continually gnaw away in order to keep them from growing to large, sadly they seem to target electrical wiring when doing this which is obviously a massive fire hazard. They can also be harmful to your health through the diseases they spread thanks to their excrement and bites.
Over 200 human pathogens are carried by rodents. There are some really nasty diseases too, like Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, and the plague which can both be deadly. HPS which is spread though the saliva, feces, Pest Control Baltimore City and urine of infected deer mice, has been identified in 30 states in 14 years, these figures were published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 465 cases were reported and an astonishing 35% ended in death.
There are also 12 cases of plague reported a year in the U.S, obviously rare but still a worry. Human health and rodents have been connected for many generations. During the 14th century the plague destroyed many lives in Europe, spread by rats it is How To Get Rid Of Bugs In Garden Soil clear how dangerous they can be, especially when you consider they still carry dangerous diseases to this day. Do not get too worried however, only very few diseases rodents carry are deadly, although infestations should still not be taken lightly.
A rodent invasion is not an indication of unclean conditions, though many people believe this. While clutter and bad housekeeping can make your house more attractive to rodents, they will check out any structure that they can get into easily to find food. If you are worried about potentially having a rodent invasion, here are some signs to look out for. You will likely find droppings around the place and in cupboards near food supplies, boxes of food themselves will be gnawed along with furniture legs and door frames, you may even hear the rats running through the walls or ceilings and may notice oily marks along their often traveled routes.
The minute you think you have an infestation you should phone a pest control operator. Infestations can usually be handled with the use of rodenticides and traps. When an expert applies one of these methods, you can be sure that the results will be better than when you do it on your own. There are certain things you can do to prevent rodents invading your home during colder seasons. Firewood should be kept a fair way from the home and raised above the ground. * Any debris near or around your home such as stones or bricks should be removed. Any debris near the foundation can hide entry points and give rodents shelter, encouraging them to stay and look for an entry.
If you find any hole in the outside of your home larger than 1/4 inch, seal it immediately. You can stuff larger openings with wire mesh or steel wool before sealing to ensure that access is denied. Vents in both the attic and foundation should be covered with 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Keep in mind that rodents are not put off by screens so be sure to place tight fitting weather stripping on all your doors. Keep shrubbery and tree branches trimmed around the house so they can not be used by rodents to get to the roof of your home.
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