Rodents invading your Austin home can bring with them several dangerous consequences. Read on to learn about preventing and combatting all types of rodents that may infiltrate your property and how professional pest control in Austin can help.
The Problems With Rodents
Types of rodents in the Austin area that may invade your home include both rats and mice; there are two species of rats you can potentially encounter, the Norway rat and the roof rat, while the only species of mouse in Austin is the house mouse.
All of these rodents may be a common or familiar sight, but this doesn’t make them any less dangerous to have in your home. On top of causing damage around your house with their constant gnawing and scratching, rodents can soil parts of your home such as attics, basements, and food storage areas with their urine and feces. In the case of mice, these droppings can dry up and become airborne, increasing your risk of allergic reactions or diseases.
Rodents are dangerous because they are also notorious carriers of diseases like hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tularemia, and salmonella, in addition to carrying parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites that they drop off around your home.
In most cases, rodents will invade your house in search of food, water, and shelter. These pests have a long history of human dependency after spending centuries living alongside human civilizations and are highly skilled at invading our homes. For instance, mice can squeeze through holes as small as a pen, and rats can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter, something that makes rodent infestations extremely hard to prevent.
How To Keep Rodents Away
If you want to understand how to keep rodents away, you can follow the below prevention tips for ensuring these pests stay out of your home.
- Making sure that you properly store leftover food and tightly seal up trash is essential in preventing rodents. The aroma of these items is a major attractant for rats and mice, so always be careful to dispose of trash promptly, refrain from leaving out dirty dishes, and immediately clean up all food or drink spills.
- Sealing up potential rodent entry points around your home is vital in rodent prevention. Use a chew-proof material like steel wool to fix up any holes or gaps around your home’s windows, doors, and foundation. You may also want to fix broken door and window screens and utilize a chimney cap to prevent rodents from entering from the roof.
- Keep your yard clear of debris, especially organic debris like fallen fruit, and keep the grass trimmed low to reduce outdoor hiding spots for rodents and make your yard less hospitable to these pests.
- Ongoing professional pest control is incredibly beneficial for preventing rodents. With the help of the experts, you can rat and mouse-proof your home and ensure that it stays guarded against rodents year-round.
How To Get Rid Of Rodents
Because a rodent infestation can often invade the hardest-to-reach areas of your home and may be dangerous to handle yourself, the safest, most effective way to get rid of rodents is to contact our professionals. The specialists at Roberts Termite & Pest Control will be able to ensure that any rodent problem you have is completely taken care of, so you can claim your Austin home back from these dangerous pests.