WINTER = Rats and Mice Invasions
Winter = Mice and Rat Season. Actually they can invade at any time but the cold weather greatly increases the chance that they will look for a warm place to spend the winter, and that warm place is very likely your home, barn or garage.
There is a LOT of information about the many species that you can read u on if you want to know details, but here is the minimum information you should know…
There are many varieties of these varmints and since they don’t have a health plan they will not go to a veterinarian or doctor, many of them will carry and spread diseases that can affect people. Some of these cute furry creatures can carry the Hantavirus and many other diseases that can spread to people via the rodents droppings, (aka poop), therefore if you find a trail or nest with a stash of their poop, it is recommended that you consult a Professional Exterminator ( like Me, Carroll’s Pest Control) to investigate and handle the job of removing these pests.
Contact with a rodents nest or sizable collection of droppings that may have the Hantavirus can lead to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) which is a severe and possibly fatal, respiratory disease in humans. If you have a rodent infestation in or around your home you may be at risk for Hantavirus exposure.
Because of their body design, the buggers can sneak into your home in a hole as small as a dime. If you keep extra bags of dog or cat food out in the garage they will find it very quickly and dig a hole in the bag in a matter of minutes. They have real tough teeth and can gnaw through wood on outside doorways and in your walls to make nice little habit trails for them to get around in your attic and start their Families. If you hear scratching sounds in your ceiling or walls, especially at night, then you have unwanted guests in your house.
I have seen website recommend plugging outside holes with a silicone calk to prevent their entry, but I have seen that they will chew through that in short order. I know someone who tried to plug a hole in drywall with drywall mud from a previous years “invasion” but that didn’t work for him. The sly little buggers had it reopened in no time.
If you presently don’t have a problem you can plan ahead. If you have a known point of entry, such as your garage when the door is opened to drive in or out, you can strategically place a couple of mouse traps in their pathway ( under a cabinet or workbench) and load the trap with some peanut butter, this will get their attention real quick and likely snag them quickly. Handle the removal with gloves you can throw away and. Wear a dust mask and gloves you intend to throw away while you are handling the trap and rodent. Put the rodent in a sack and tie it closed and place it directly in your garbage can. Reload the traps right away and check them daily.
*********************** Keep children away during this process.********************************
If the little rascals get a start on building their nests and families somewhere in your home then it is time for a professional exterminator. Most mice and rats can produce a family in 3 weeks, and in another three weeks those babies can start having babies, and so on and so on, and within 60 days you can have a real infestation of these disease laden pests.
If you have or suspect that you may have a pest situation, call me. A phone call is free, and so are my 1st visit consultations. Let me help you keep your home safe for you family ad pest free. Call me - 937-559-2344 Monday thru Saturday 8AM to 7PM.