Have you ever heard a bumping or scraping noise coming from a wall and stared at it, wondering, "How on earth am I going to deal with that?" If so, you already know, to a certain extent, why DIY rodent control is hard. Rodents hide in places you can't easily inspect or treat. But there is more to it. The products offered at your local hardware store or online don't provide an easy solution for rats and mice. Join us today as we look at the pitfalls of DIY rodent control, why it is hard to stop an infestation, and what hard work you can do to get control of a rodent problem. If you don't want to do the hard work needed to control common rodents, navigate to our contact page for effective rodent pest control in Reno. Our licensed and experienced technicians don't mind doing that hard work for you—and they're really good at it. But, if you want to tackle rodent control in Reno on your own, the following information will definitely help.
Why Aren't Traps Working To Get Rid Of Rodents?
Often, the best way to learn how to do something properly is to mess up big time. When you attempt to do something and fail big, you're not likely to fail in that way again. A great example is toilet installation. If you fail to apply the wax ring to properly seal a toilet during installation, you may have to deal with a serious water damage issue. You will do everything you can so that you don't make that mistake twice, or you'll hire someone to do that job for you.
When rodents get out of control and you try to control them with traps, you may have the fortitude to eventually get it right, but it will take research and hard work and you'll have to deal with the ramifications of allowing rodents to continue to infest your home. While rats and mice are small rodents, they are no small problem, and while they are domestic rodents, they're not domesticated. Like a poorly installed toilet, rodents can create serious issues when they aren't properly dealth with.
Why do traps fail to control rodents? There are many reasons. We'll zero in on the reasons that matter most.
1. Traps are often placed incorrectly.
There are many kinds of rodents, but rats and mice are somewhat unique. They have poor eyesight so they use their other senses to navigate. These senses help them to detect danger and avoid dangerous situations such as getting caught in a trap. Rats and mice are also familiar with domestic environments and learn as they explore. The rodents in your home may already have experience with traps in your neighbor's home or some other structure on your street. Professionals apply traps according to strict protocols and evaluate the success of trapping programs.
2. Traps are often baited incorrectly.
Mice eat cheese, right? Don't count on it. Mice prefer seeds and nuts. You'll have much more success with peanut butter. But even peanut butter can fail. Mice can sometimes clean food off the latch of a spring trap without setting the trap off.
Rats eat cheese. But they are suspicious of new things placed in their environment. If you lay traps down with bait that rats will take, they may still avoid your traps. Professionals use techniques to counteract the suspicious nature of rats.
3. Traps don't provide a complete solution.
Catching a rat or a mouse does not arrest a rodent infestation. In fact, what commonly happens is rodents reproduce faster than residents can successfully capture and remove them. You need to take steps to seal entry points and apply other products to monitor the success of your trapping efforts. Otherwise, you'll keep having rodent problems—even if you don't realize it.
Clear Signs You Have A Rodent Infestation In Your Home
When you attempt to remove rodents from your home, it is critical to know how to track the success of your efforts. There are clear signs rodents provide; you just need to know how to interpret the signs.
- Rodents leave their droppings as they explore. Fresh droppings are a dark color and they are moist. When you find droppings that are a light color or dry, you've found old droppings. That may indicate an old infestation. Fresh droppings are a sign of current activity. When you locate droppings, clean the area. Doing so will allow you to check back later to see if more dropping have appeared. Wear a respirator mask, gloves, and other protective gear when doing this so as to avoid illness.
- Rodents create holes. They make holes to enter your home. They make holes to move from wall voids into kitchens and pantries. They make holes in food packaging and items stored in your attic. These holes provide evidence of rodent activity. When you find a structural hole, use expanding foam to fill it. Check back later to see if the hole appears again or if a new hole appears. If so, you know you still have active rodents in your home. Don't worry too much about rodents creating new holes. Even a big rat will only create a hole that is about the size of a quarter.
- Rodents cause grease marks as they run along baseboards or over the tops of pipes. When you clean baseboards and pipes, you can check back to see if more grease marks appear. Are you seeing a pattern? Cleaning up areas where you see signs of rodent activity helps you to tell if the activity is persistent.
As you inspect your home for warning signs, look in places rodents will likely explore. Look in cabinets, behind objects on the floor, the backs of your shelves and drawers, and around your oven and refrigerator. Inspect secluded spaces such as your storage rooms and attic. Look underneath insulation and closely inspect stored furniture. Look in the voids above drop-down ceilings. Rodents hide from view, and you'll find these warning signs hidden from view.
The Many Problems A Rodent Infestation Can Create In Your Home
What happens when you don't detect rats and mice after applying control methods? They will continue to leave droppings in your home, damage your home, and create grease marks. But those issues are only the beginning. Here are a few ways rodents create problems:
- Rats and mice chew on wires, which can cause lights to go out. Chewing on wires also presents a fire hazard.
- The holes rodents create in your exterior can allow other pests to invade your home.
- The holes rodents create in your exterior can allow water to enter, leading to wood rot and/or problems with mold.
- Rodents can damage your belongings as they gather materials for their nests.
- Rodents get in garbage and pass through sewers and pick up harmful organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. They can transport these organisms to cooking surfaces and stored foods.
- Rodents pick up ticks and fleas while outside. These parasites are known to transmit human pathogens.
- Rodents spread hantavirus and other illnesses.
We could go on, but you get the idea. Rats and mice aren't cute little furry woodland creatures. They are domestic rodent pests. It is best to take appropriate steps to keep them out of your home. You can learn to do this yourself and learn from any mistakes you make, or you can hire a trained and experienced pest management professional to take care of rodent problems for you. If you do it yourself, be sure to do the hard work of applying exclusions. A caulking gun, expanding foam, hardware cloth, and some metal flashing will go a long way toward stopping rodent problems. It takes elbow grease and a little know-how, but you won't regret putting in the effort. When you combine exclusion work with proper sanitation, effective trapping, and general pest maintenance, you can stop rodent problems on your own. However, we don't recommend using harmful products because these are much more likely to make you sick than solve your rodent problems.
The Safest Way To Get Rid Of Rodents In Your Home
When you contact Celtic Pest Control, you get appropriate and effective rodent control. We apply Integrated Pest Management strategies, such as exclusions, and we use organically-derived products that are safe and effective for rodent control. Best of all, your Celtic Pest Control technician uses field-tested methods to track the success of your rodent control program to ensure that no rodents remain active.
For immediate assistance with rat or mouse control in Reno, reach out to us through our contact page or call us. We'll guide you toward a solution that works best for you and your specific rodent control needs. You can count on Celtic Pest Control professionals to provide appropriate and environmentally friendly pest control solutions that meet the highest standard in the industry. There is no better way to control rats and mice. If there was, we'd be using it.
What Celtic Pest Control Customers Are Saying
"My overall experience with your company was very good. They were on time and professional. They did good work and answered all questions we had. From the first point of contact with your company, we have had a good experience. Great customer service. We will use them in the future and highly recommend them!"
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