Get To Know Your Rodents At Home

There are different kinds of rodents. The most common ones that infest homes are mice and rats. These creatures are responsible for damages and physical illnesses. Did you know that rats and mice cause around 5 million dollars of damage each year? That is just in the United States alone. According to statistics, 25% of house fires are caused by these vile creatures. They gnaw almost anything including wirings and appliances. For this reason, it is important to keep them out. 

Physiological Illnesses From Rodents 

Rats and mice also bring diseases to human beings such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Bubonic Plague, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, Tularemia, Leptospirosis, and many more. HPS is a fatal respiratory disease in humans caused by rodents. If a person gets in contact with a rodent that carries the virus, he is at risk of HPS. Early symptoms of HPS include headaches, nausea, dizziness, chills, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for HPS yet. Infected people must be recognized early to receive medication in intensive care. 

Bubonic Plague is caused by the bacterium, Yersinia Pestis. Humans get infected after being bitten by a rodent flea carrying the bacteria. The Bubonic Plague is responsible for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. Fortunately, modern antibiotics are proven effective in treating the disease. However, without immediate treatment, the disease can cause serious symptoms, eventually leading to death. 

Furthermore, Salmonellosis is acquired by accidentally ingesting food or water contaminated by rat feces and urine. Next, Tularemia is also a fatal condition caused by rats and mice. It spreads when a person handles infected animal carcasses. It is also acquired after being bitten by an infected tick or deerfly. 

The symptoms of tularemia depend on how the bacteria entered the human body. Ulceroglandular is the most common form of Tularemia which is acquired after the bite of an infected tick or a deerfly. This type of Tularemia is characterized by the swelling of the regional lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin.   

Glandular tularemia is similar to the Ulceroglandular Tularemia except without the ulcer. Oculoglandular Tularemia is acquired when an infected animal touches the eye. This usually happens when a person is butchering an infected animal and a part of it touches the eye. The symptoms of this illness include irritation and inflammation of the eye and swelling of the front ear. 

Pneumonic Tularemia is the most serious form. The symptoms include cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. This is acquired by breathing dust which contains particles from the organism. 

Leptospirosis is one of the most terrifying diseases of all time. This is a form of a bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals. Without treatment, Leptospirosis leads to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory diseases, even death.

Fascinating Facts About Rodents

To get to know your house rodent more, here are some facts you should know: 

1. The teeth of a rodent never stop growing. These creatures have the unending need to gnaw and chew even when they are full. The purpose of their gnawing is to keep their incisors trimmed and to maintain its sharpness. Did you know that their teeth can gnaw through substances as hard as lead and cinder blocks? No wonder they can easily create holes on wooden houses. 
2. Mice and rats can cause psychological illnesses. When people experience something traumatic involving mice, they can develop a kind of specific phobia called musophobia. Phobia is a psychological disorder that is characterized by the extreme and irrational fear of things, people, situations, and events. In this case, musophobia is the irrational and extreme fear of mice.  Unlike typical fear, phobia causes dysfunction to the point that a person experiences panic attacks just by thinking about mice. They do not want to enter any place, even their house if they think that there are mice infesting the place. But not to worry. There are ways to heal from this disorder. Contact a competent and reliable psychologist for interventions.
3. We have discussed 6 of the deadliest diseases caused by rodents. Did you know that they can spread at least 30 more? This is one of the main reasons why we should keep them out at all times.
4. A female mouse can produce up to 15 litters in a year. It can get pregnant again within 24 hours of giving birth. Do you see how fast these creatures can reproduce? If you let one pregnant rodent inside, you will be facing a full-blown mice infestation within days! 
5. Rodents are very flexible. They can squeeze through openings as small as 13 millimeters in diameter. Never disregard even the smallest crevice or fissure on your house. Small mice and rats can easily squeeze their bodies just to get inside.  To prevent any mice or rat infestation, schedule a weekly or monthly checkup all over your house’s perimeter. Make sure that there are no holes, fissures, and broken shingles where pests can enter.
6. Who among you tried to flush a mouse down the toilet? It does not work at all! Mice can hold their breath for a very long time. If you flush them down the drain, you will only be sending them back to where they came from. 
7. Rodents are very smart creatures. According to scientists, they are fast learners and can solve problems as fast as dogs. Mice and rats determine the best ways to get inside your house just by looking at it. They create a mental picture or a blueprint of your house to detect its weak points where they can enter. 
8. If you think that poison is a quick fix to kill mice and rats, you got it wrong. These creatures have the ability to smell poison in their food. And so, they are likely to avoid it. It can probably work on the young and underdeveloped rodents. But it barely works on adults. It takes another class of pesticide to kill adult rodents. 

So, how do you eliminate rodent infestation? Call for your local pest control in Denver.  The best way to eliminate rodents and to prevent them from coming back is by calling Lake Norman Home Services.  This company has been providing service for more than 50 years and has proven its methods safe and effective over the years. Since the 1900s, the company has dedicated its full efforts to innovation, customer satisfaction, and competence. You would be crazy to call for anybody else. At Lake Norman Home Services, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and watch the highly-trained exterminators get to work. Every service is provided at a very affordable price. 

Signs Of Rat And Mice Infestations

It is important to take precautionary measures to avoid rodents from infesting our homes. To do so, you need to watch out for several signs: 

• Mice and Rat Droppings. This is a good indication that rodents have infested your house. Observe the varying sizes of the droppings. This indicates that there may be adults and juveniles lurking inside your house. Rodent droppings also give us a clue on the type of rodent present, the size of the infestation, and their activity sites.  Mice droppings are very small and pointed on both ends. Rat droppings are much bigger and more spherical than that of mice. If you encounter such droppings, never clean it with your bare hands. Keep your pets and your children away from the site. Also wear protective masks, aprons, and goggles to prevent accidentally inhaling some particles or getting it on your skin and eyes.
• Musky odor. This can be sensed underneath cabinets, sinks, compartments, and other unused areas. It could also come from walls, attics, and basements. Again, when cleaning the urine of rodents, make sure to put on protective garments. You would not want any of its residues to seep into your clothes or your skin.
• Gnawed Holes. Mice and rats are known for creating holes in houses. However, these two rodents have differences in their work. Mice create holes which are more precise and clean-cut, about the shape and size of a dime. Gnawed rat holes, on the other hand, are much bigger, about the size of the quarter with rough edges.   If you cannot find any holes on your walls, ceilings or floors, check underneath and behind compartments. These creatures are not showy of their passageways. They prefer to keep it discreet to avoid any disturbance and blockages.
• The most common sign of mice and rat infestations are rub marks and gnaw-marks. These are very good indications of their activity sites. You can see them on wooden furniture and walls. You can even see them on insulators and papers, cardboard boxes, food packaging and many more. If the food packaging is already penetrated by insects, throw it away. There might be residues from its saliva that can harm you and your family. Don’t think it is safe for consumption because even the dust they carry could be harmful especially to children.  
• Noises. Rats and mice chew endlessly, especially at night. So, if you are having trouble sleeping because of incessant noises, you have rodents to blame. Usually, you can hear these noises from the ceilings, attic, basement, or even your walls. If you hear such sounds, it is best to take the necessary precautions for rodent extermination.