We could share many surprising and interesting facts about the different rodents found in our Reno service area. Rats and mice are amazing critters, we know volumes of information about them. But the questions we get have little to do with how interesting rodents are or the surprising ways they survive in the wild. Reno residents want to know why rats and mice enter their yards and get into their homes, and how to stop them. We aim to deliver. Join us as we look at factors that attract common rodents, twelve common questions about mice, how to drive rodents out of your home, and how professional pest control in Reno works to arrest infestations and keep rodents out for good. You'll find some helpful tips here and learn some useful strategies for keeping several pests out of your home. Let's start by looking at why rodents come into your yard.
What Factors Attract Rodents?
The questions we get most relate to how to keep rodents in Reno away. The secret is to remove the conditions that attract them to your property. The following answers should provide many insights into rat and mouse behavior.
- Why do rodents like my yard? The most important fact you should know about rodents is that they use objects on the ground to help them navigate. Rats and mice have poor eyesight. They use their whiskers to feel for objects around them and don't prefer to traverse open areas. The more clutter you have in your yard, the more likely rodents are to enter your yard.
- Do rodents eat trash? Yes. Rats and mice eat rotting food, and the scent of rotting food can attract them. They also have the ability to scale walls and jump distances that would surprise you. A little mouse can jump as far as thirteen inches straight up. They can get into your trash if you don't have covers. Don't underestimate these tiny rodents.
- Do rodents eat dog waste? It isn't their first choice, but some urban rodents take to eating the waste of domesticated canines. Stay on top of waste clean-up to prevent rodent problems and also insects that commonly eat feces, such as roaches and flies.
- Why do I see rodents around stacked wood? In nature, rats and mice commonly hide in tree cavities, logs, stumps, and ground holes underneath stumps. You'll invite rodent problems if you have brush piles, campfire wood, construction materials, scrap wood, stumps, logs, or some other wood source near your home.
- Do rodents need water? Rats and mice can derive the moisture they need from many of the foods they eat. However, even though a water source isn't required, rats and mice prefer yards that have puddles or containers that capture rainwater. Water is a building block of life.
- What do rodents eat? Bird seed is one of the most tantalizing food sources for rodents in most Reno yards. If you have bird feeders, you should know that they will attract rodents into your yard. Rats, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks are all fond of eating seeds.
- Are rodents getting into my landscaping? You can bet rats and mice will notice if you have dense areas in your landscape vegetation. They like hiding under plants. Look for droppings to see if rodents are using your landscaping as a hiding place.
There are many ways you can accidentally invite rodents to explore your property. When they come near to your exterior, they can get into your home through small gaps and cracks. Mice are small rodents that can fit through a hole the size of a dime. When they find holes that are smaller than a dime, they have teeth that can make the holes larger.
Twelve Common Questions And Answers About Mice In The House
Mice are the worst of all rodents and house mice are particularly troublesome among mouse species. This is probably why we get more questions about them than any other kind of rodent. Let's take a look at twelve common questions we get most often.
- Do mice get into walls? Yes. Mice often climb around inside wall voids. They access these voids by chewing holes and exit them in the same way. Mice prefer to live close to food, so it is common for them to create a nest in a kitchen or pantry wall void. You can search for holes behind food packages and other items.
- What do mice eat inside my home? Mice eat lots of things. They'll nibble on bread crumbs that fall to the floor. They'll eat grease and oil that drip down the sides of your oven. They'll get into stored food in your pantry. They eat pet food, garbage, apple cores left in wastepaper bins, etc.
- Can I drive mice out by removing food options? A mouse will eat fifteen to twenty times a day. It is strongly motivated by food. If you clean your home from top to bottom and protect all possible food sources, the mice in your home will not like it and it may decide to leave. But you should know that mice can feed on outdoor food sources and still live inside your home, making it tricky to control them in this way. You must use exclusion work along with removing food options.
- How do mice get into my kitchen drawers? When you slide a draw out and find tiny black droppings in the back, it may cause you to scratch your head. How on earth do mice get inside your kitchen drawers? If you could see your drawers from the back, you'd understand. Many drawers are easily accessed from the rear as cabinets are often open back there.
- Do mice live in attics? Yes. Mice commonly live in attics. But they don't prefer attics if there isn't any food there.
- Are mice dangerous? Not generally, but there is a risk when you have mice in your home. They can give you stomach ailments, they can damage your things, and they can chew on wiring. That last one is the worst. If a mouse chews on a live wire, there is a chance of a fire sparking.
- Do traps stop mouse infestations? Yes, but not on their own. Professionals use traps as one tool in an effective rodent control strategy.
- If I see one mouse, do I have only one mouse? It is not a good sign to see even one mouse inside your home. Mice are rarely seen unless a population has grown to a point where mice have to compete for food resources.
- How fast do mice reproduce? Have you heard the term, breeding like rabbits? Well, rabbits don't have anything on mice. Some experts say that a single female mouse can create a population of more than 5,000 mice in a year.
- How do I get rid of mice? Baiting, trapping, exclusions, and glue boards are the tools most often used by professionals. When applied properly, these things can arrest infestations. But don't underestimate the mice in your home. They often outsmart untrained individuals.
- Will mice damage my stuff? Yes. Mice chew holes, soil items with feces and urine, and rip up building materials to gather what they need to build a nest.
- Do mice prefer clutter? Yes. Mice gravitate to cluttered spaces because they hide in junk and use objects to help with navigation.
There are many reasons a mouse would want to live in your home. House mice are particularly happy living inside structures.
Help! I Saw A Mouse In My Kitchen
We've discussed what attracts rats and mice to your home. We've covered questions about what mice do inside Reno homes and revealed some ways you may drive them out. Now we're going to discuss questions you should have but may not know to ask. These refer to rodent detection.
- When I stop catching mice in my traps, are they gone? Don't count on it. Not only are mice adept at avoiding traps, they can live quietly in your home, undetected.
- When I don't hear mice in my walls, does it mean I don't have an infestation anymore? Not likely. When mice stop making noises in your walls, it usually means they found a food source and moved close to it.
- What signs can I look for to see if I still have a mouse problem? Look for droppings in secluded or hidden places. Use your nose to detect the scent of urine. Look for the tiny holes mice create.
When you understand what attracts rodents to your home, why they want to live in your home, and how to tell if they're in your home, you have all the rodent control tools you need to stop them. But, as you're likely aware, sometimes rats and mice are hard to control. What can you do if you're having trouble with a difficult rodent infestation?
Total Rodent Control For Homes In Reno
Celtic Pest Control offers rodent control for Reno homes. Our technicians use a field-tested strategy of inspections, exclusion work, baiting, monitoring, evaluations, and follow-up visits to arrest infestations. Once the rodents are gone, we provide ongoing rodent management as a part of our residential pest control services. When you want rats and mice gone for good, there is no better way to do this than to contact Celtic Pest Control for assistance. Reach out to us today. We can help!
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