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Rats & Mice 101

How to Protect Yourself from the Diseases Rats and Mice Carry

Rats and mice are a major problem not only in households, but also for businesses. Their populations can get out of hand very quickly, which means they’ll be spreading diseases to everyone they come into contact with. These diseases include salmonella, leptospirosis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and bubonic plague, rat bite fever and more.

These diseases can be passed on to you by:

Eating food or drink water that has been contaminated with rat or mice feces, urine, hair or saliva.
Breathing in dust that has been contaminated with feces or urine of infected rodents.
Direct contact with the rodents such through rat bites

How to Keep Rats and Mice Away from Your Property

The best approach to keeping mice and rats away from your property is by simply denying them a conducive environment to live in.

Keep your home clean and free of food on surfaces
Ensure all your garbage is covered properly in bins with lids that close tightly.
Remove any areas where rodents may use as a hiding spot such as wood piles, dense vegetation, junk or debris. Store wood piles slightly above the ground and away from the sides of walls or fences.
Always clean your pet’s food bowls and storing food in containers and places they can’t reach.
Block holes and other areas that they could potentially come through.
Fix any broken screens on windows and doors as these can also allow rodents into your house
Get rid of all clutter – including piles of papers and boxes – as this provides shelter for rats and mice

Signs that You May Have an Infestation

Smudge marks around the entry points which is where they enter your home to search for food.
They also leave behind dark stains because of oils in their fur that transfer to surfaces while they are searching for food.
Droppings that are about the size of a grain of rice.
Chewed up plastic, wood and even lead wire insulation.
Nesting materials brought into your home, usually shredded paper taken from inside walls or within insulation.
Chewed through food containers.
Chewed through plastic and wood material like furniture they may be nesting in as well as boxes you store things in such as clothes or shoes.

If you suspect a rodent problem, contact your local pest control professional as soon as possible.

What to Do If You Have Rats or Mice on Your Property

It is important to take action when you know that there are rats or mice in your house. Some of the things you can do include:

Finding out where they are coming from and sealing up the entrance points. This will stop more of them from entering your house.
Exterminating them by placing localized rodenticide around your home.
Setting up rat and mice traps. These work in a similar fashion as mouse poison does, but you have more control over where it is placed
Contacting a pest control company in your area to get rid of them. They will know how best to deal with them and have access to specialist equipment that you do not.

Conclusion

Keeping rodents away from your property is a difficult task, but it can be done with some determination and the right set of tools. If you have a problem with rodents, the first thing to do is figure out what’s attracting them. If you are unable to control the rodent situation, do not panic. Call Domain Pest control to help prevent future infestations in your home.

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