Rodent Rundown: Keeping These Dangerous Pests Away From Your Elk Grove Property

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How much do you pay attention to odd noises and other strange occurrences that happen inside or around your home? Many people live in old buildings that make odd sounds and get used to ignoring things that are out of the ordinary. Other people live in brand-new homes that rarely if ever make noise at all. Quit can be an advantage when trying to identify a rodent infestation. Keeping this in mind, these pests are one of the most difficult species to deal with locally. If you are not well-educated it is likely that rodents like mice or rats will settle onto your property and try to stick around for the long haul. We are here to make sure this does not happen. To make sure you are prepared when dangerous rodents come knocking, here is everything you need to know to keep these pests away from your Elk Grove property. Contact our dedicated team at Bell Pest Control if you would like to know more about our rodent control offerings. The absolute best way to handle invasive species is with help from a friend. Let us be that friend and show you what professional-grade pest control in Elk Grove is supposed to look like. Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about local rodents.

Common Rodent Species: Identifying Different Types Of Rodents

rat in garage

There are over a dozen species of rodents that are common in California. Many live here in Elk Grove. Thankfully, the majority of species have no interest in invading your property. The three most common types of rodents you might find indoors are mice, rats, and squirrels. Of these three pests, squirrels are the least common as they cannot easily survive on the food and moisture found inside man-made structures and heavily rely on natural exterior food sources like nuts and berries. Rats and mice, on the other hand, find it easy to live in most homes and businesses. These furry invaders eat just about anything and have no trouble navigating through wall voids, ceilings, and other secluded areas inside buildings. 

One of the most common invasive rodents in Elk Grove is the house mouse. This plump pest is 2 ½ to 3 ¾” long and has a round body, large ears, black or red eyes, a pointy nose, four clawed feet, a dusty grey coat, and a cream-colored underbelly. The average house mouse is able to squeeze through gaps and holes the width of a nickel and can jump almost a foot into the air. This makes them adept at getting into structures. 

The two most common types of rats in Elk Grove are Norway rats and roof rats. Norway rats are a bit larger than roof rats and are typically heavier. Roof rats are thinner and often mistaken for mice because of their more compact features. Both of these pests are different shades of brown and have black hairs intermixed into their coats. One thing that separates roof rats from Norway rats is mobility. Norway rats are more likely to invade around the base of a structure where roof rats regularly get indoors through third-story windows, chimneys, and other higher-up entry points.

Something that is common with all rodents is the ability to chew through hard materials. Mice are able to gnaw through things like wood and plastic while rats can sometimes nibble through harder items like soft concrete and aluminum siding. Common rodents like these pests use this talent to chew holes through the exterior of buildings or to make easier pathways inside structures. Let’s talk more about how this behavior can be destructive and discuss other problems these pests cause.

Rodent Dangers: Health Risks And Property Damage

There are more than a few reasons why you do not want different types of rodents living on your property. The most obvious reason is that these pests are scary and annoying. Mice and rats try to stay out of sight but will occasionally slip out into the open and scare unsuspecting individuals. Interestingly enough, this should be the least of your worries. Rodents cause a trifecta of problems. They are annoying, dangerous, and destructive. Let’s start with why these pests are dangerous.

Every rodent has the ability to be dangerous to a certain degree. Even squirrels, who are mostly harmless, are capable of biting people. Rats and mice are the same way. Although bites rarely occur, it is always best to avoid directly interacting with these furry creatures as they might become defensive and lash out. A bigger concern with rats and mice is the disease they often spread off and through their bodies. These diseases include salmonellosis, hantavirus, and Lassa fever, tularemia, murine typhus, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Many of these sicknesses are spread by parasitic pests that rodents carry, like fleas and ticks. These smaller pests regularly use furry creatures, including cats and dogs, to find their way into local homes. One of the only things you don’t have to worry about with small rodents is rabies. 

Rodents have the ability to cause a lot of damage when they invade properties. They mostly cause problems with the way they chew on things constantly. Sometimes these pests nibble on items just to file down their constantly growing teeth. Other times they use their durable teeth to chew holes through walls, cabinets, and other things that block their path to something they need. It is not uncommon for rodents to gnaw their way through important things like water pipes and electrical wires. This, as you might imagine, can lead to some serious problems inside the walls of your home. Our goal is to provide you with methods and professional options to stop these terrible property invaders before they cause too much trouble for you or your loved ones.

Professional Rodent Control: The Safe Way To Remove An Infestation

Trying to handle wild rodents on your own can result in personal injury or sickness. It can also be incredibly stressful. What is not stressful is having one of our friendly professionals pay you a visit. Our team works hard to ensure that our methods and control methods are designed for success. If you are still on the fence about Bell Pest Control, here are some things you absolutely need to know about us.

  • We guarantee results.
  • Our team is actively friendly and enjoys helping locals find freedom from common and uncommon pest problems.
  • We are never more than a phone call away and are always happy to answer any questions you have about the problematic species inside your home or business. 
  • We love to inform people about pests and provide options for them to take action to prevent active infestations. 
  • We offer free, no-expectation inspections to help potential clients understand what pest problems they are up against. 

Rodents will cause you trouble if you let them live on your property long enough. Our goal at Bell Pest Control is to walk alongside you and find effective short and long-term options to handle these furry invaders. All you need to do is start a conversation with our team. We will walk you through our professional rodent control offerings and answer any and all questions you might have about the small furry pests inside or around your home or business.

Rodent Prevention Tips: How to Keep Your Property Rodent-Free

We are not going to claim to be your only option for rodent prevention. Although we believe that professional pest control is the simplest and most effective way to deter these invasive creatures, we are not going to withhold vital information to help you stop mice, rats, and squirrels from invading your property. With all of this in mind, here is a quick and comprehensive list of eight prevention tips you can utilize to deter local rodent threats.

  1. Locate potential entry points around your home or business building’s exterior foundation. Seal up gaps, cracks, and holes you find by stuffing them full of steel wool and then filling them in with liquid cement or silicone caulk.
  2. Make sure all of your exterior windows and doors are in good working condition and that they are equipped with high-quality screens.
  3. Walk around your property and do your best to clean things up and reduce clutter. As part of this, keep up with general lawn care and landscape maintenance. 
  4. Address moisture issues like leaky piping, clogged or damaged gutters, and water build-up inside or around your home or business. 
  5. Store all of your food inside air-tight glass, metal, or hard plastic containers.
  6. Clean your trash bins when they get dirty and make sure they have a tight-fitting lid.
  7. Do your absolute best to keep your home clean and address areas of clutter whenever possible.
  8. Repackage all of your stored items into durable plastic totes.

Reach out to Bell Pest Control if you would like our help dealing with different kinds of rodents on your Elk Grove property and make an appointment with our team.

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