When rodents enter into a home, a homeowner’s first thought isn’t typically, “I’m in danger.” It’s “What do I do now?” or “Why did these pests invade in the first place?”. If you are worried about rodents invading your Mooresville home or are already dealing with an active infestation, we encourage you to take a moment and learn a thing or two about your aggressors. Here are a few things you should know about the rodents here in Mooresville and the dangers they pose.
Rodents to Expect Around Mooresville
The term rodent is used to describe gnawing mammals with constantly growing teeth. Some common rodents you have probably heard about include beavers, porcupines, squirrels, hamsters, rats, and mice. Fortunately, not all rodents invade homes. Although troublesome around properties, you will never find a beaver or porcupine in your kitchen unless you leave your front door open and they have a really good reason to come inside.
On the contrary, rodents like mice and rats invade homes regularly and stay inside for as long as possible. These furry pests use their many advantages such as their strong sharp teeth, agility, and high intellect to make the invasion easier and to avoid danger once inside.
How Destructive Are Rodents?
If you didn’t know, a rodent’s front teeth never stop growing, and rodents chew on things constantly to keep these teeth at a reasonable length. This wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that rodents’ teeth are typically strong enough to chew through plastic, metal, vinyl, wood, and even certain metals.
Inside homes, rodents like mice and rats chew holes through walls, gnaw on the legs of furniture, bite their way into boxes of food, sever electrical wires, and munch their way into utility piping. As you can imagine, this type of behavior is damaging to a home.
The Dangers of Rodents
Rodents don’t much care for cleanliness or pay much mind to the food they eat. This often leads to unhealthy decisions and the contraction of dangerous disease-causing organisms. These organisms are primarily spread through rodents’ fecal matter and urine throughout the homes they infest. Here are some of the most common diseases these furry pests transmit:
- Salmonellosis
- Hantavirus
- Rat-bite fever
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
- Tularemia
- Leptospirosis
When cleaning up after a rodent infestation, be careful how you interact with their fecal matter and urine. We recommend using thick plastic gloves and a facemask to minimize your exposure to potentially dangerous organisms. When you are done cleaning up, wash thoroughly to remove any access particulates that were picked up during the process.
As if carrying disease wasn’t enough, rodents also carry fleas and ticks into homes. These smaller parasitic pests are responsible for their own unique list of disease-causing organisms. Some common sicknesses fleas and ticks spread include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, and murine typhus.
The Best Way to Handle Rodents
There are only two ways to effectively handle a rodent infestation. Which you choose all comes down to how many rodents are inside your home. With smaller infestations of only a couple of rodents, traps baited with peanut butter have proven to be effective. If traps do not have any effect within a week or you suspect your infestation is larger than just a couple of rodents, your best bet is to get a professional involved.
At Lake Norman Home Services, we offer comprehensive answers to rodent problems. Whether you are looking for a way to keep these pests out or for a quick answer for a current infestation, we have options for you.
Contact our team today through our website or by phone to further discuss your service options and schedule your Mooresville home for a rodent inspection.