Do you have a morning routine? If so, how did your method for preparing for the day develop? More than likely, your process for getting ready for the day came through a series of trials and errors. For example, it takes five minutes for the shower water to get hot, so to maximize your time, you turn on the shower while you choose your clothing from the closet. Perhaps your morning method begins with checking email and fixing a cup of coffee to provide energy and give you a sense of accomplishment. Although an outsider may not understand why you do what you do in the morning, there is a method to your madness.
Methods are necessary because they save time, create efficiency, and complete tasks. In the same way, effective rodent pest control requires a systematic approach that addresses several components. The first step in solving a rodent problem is to secure pest control in Charlotte from ProForce Pest Control; we will provide the results you need. Members of our family-owned and operated company have 60 years of pest control experience and have serviced over 15,000 homes. We are committed to meeting and exceeding expectations. We use the latest pest control methods and continually educate our service professionals. We wrote this article so you can develop an effective plan for keeping rodents out of your Charlotte home, so please keep reading.
How Mice And Rats Differ In Appearance
Before we discuss appearance, we need to define the types of rodents that invade many Charlotte homes. Regarding rats, two rat species infest homes in our area: Norway rats and roof rats, and although there are many mice species, the house mouse is the problematic pest for most Charlotte homeowners.
When viewed from a distance, rats and mice share similar features like two eyes, ears, a tail, four feet, and a furry body, but a closer look reveals that they have their differences. The first discrepancy between the two species is weight. Starting with the rats, male Norway rats weigh up to 19 ounces, with the slightly smaller females at 12 ounces, while roof rats, also known as black or ship rats, weigh between 5 and 8 ounces. On the other hand, a typical house mouse weighs about 1/2 to 1 ounce.
Size is another differentiator, with Norway and roof rats leading the pack with a length of roughly 16 inches from head to tail, while the total length of a house mouse is about 6 to 8 inches. Rats and mice have slightly different coloring. Rats have brown bodies with black hairs scattered throughout its coat, while house mice have dusty grey bodies.
Although both species have tails, they are different. Rats have long, scaly tails that can be longer than their body, but mice tails are the same length or slightly shorter than their body and have hair. Rats have blunt muzzles, but house mice have narrow, pointed muzzles. Norway rats, also known as street or sewer rats, and roof rats differ slightly in body shape. Roof rats, which are more adept at climbing, have slender bodies compared to the Norway rat's round, heavier body.
Whether it is a rat or mouse infestation, you need help from a company with a proven rodent control method, ProForce Pest Control. When we inspect your Charlotte home, we will be able to determine the type of rodent invading your home.
Rats, Mice, And Other Rodents Can Be Very Dangerous
Let's start with listing the many ways rodents are dangerous to homeowners in Charlotte, and we will briefly discuss each one.
Rodents cause these problems for homeowners:
- Spread disease
- Trigger asthma and allergy attacks
- Damage furniture
- Mark walls and objects
- Damage food storage containers
- Short-circuit appliances
- Make a room smell
- Create holes in walls and floors
- Cause house fires (potentially)
Rats and mice forage for food in bacterial and virus-ridden sewers, open garbage containers, compost piles, animal feces, and drains. While rodents eat plant and animal materials and processed human food in those polluted areas, the bacteria, viruses, dirt, and grime on the surfaces stick to the oils on their fur. Later, as they enter a Charlotte home and bump into objects as they move through the dark, they leave greasy marks on walls, corners, cabinets, appliances, etc. Not only do the streaks contain discarded, decaying material that discolors surfaces, but they also have disease-causing organisms.
Furthermore, as the rodents walk across cooking and eating surfaces, the pathogens on their toes and feet transfer to the countertops, food product containers, cooking and serving utensils, and whatever else they walk over. Worldwide, rodents spread as many as 35 diseases. In the United States, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), and salmonellosis are illnesses spread by house mice. Rats disseminate the same diseases, plus rat-bite fever, jaundice, cowpox virus, trichinosis, and more/
Rodents defecate and produce blunt or pointed-end droppings. When the fecal matter dries, particles flake off and become airborne. Young children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to flying particulates, which trigger a runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing, and other allergic symptoms.
The defining characteristic of a rodent is a pair of ever-growing upper and lower incisor teeth. Because the teeth never stop growing, the animal must constantly gnaw on nearby objects to trim and sharpen the teeth. If the rodent allows the teeth to grow unchecked, they'd become too large for its mouth and inhibit it from eating, which would ultimately cause the animal to starve.
Because rats, mice, squirrels, and other rodents must constantly chew on something, they can cause considerable damage inside a home. When rats and mice enter a house, they find nesting locations near food sources. The usual nesting areas include appliances, behind or inside cabinets, inside wall voids, and underneath attic insulation. Many places have wiring, which rodents attack to file their teeth. Once they chew off the protective coating, the bare wires may short circuit or break and cause a disconnection in phone and internet service. Tragically, house fires may also be the result of touching bare wires.
Humans are not the only creature that is methodical. When rodents find food and water sources, they urinate from the nest to feeding areas and leave a pheromone trail. Among other things, these chemicals serve as guideposts to direct other rodents along a newly-forming path. So, rodents are also methodical and travel the same routes back and forth each night. Rodents chew on furniture, glass, plastic, and thin metals to trim their teeth as they move along their paths.
The best way to remove different types of rodents in your Charlotte house is to partner with a top-rated company on Google. Our 4.9-star Google rating indicates that our service professionals at ProForce Pest Control know how to eradicate rodents from your home.
Prevention Tips For Mice And Rats Are Very Similiar
Rats and mice differ in coloring, height, weight, and length but have the same eating habits. Both species are omnivores, and although rats require more water (about one ounce of water daily), they both need to live near a moisture source. Since their similarities outweigh their differences, what will prevent a rat from entering your Charlotte home will keep out a mouse.
Once ProForce Pest Control removes these North Carolina rodents from your Charlotte home, take these steps to keep them from returning:
- Close indoor and outdoor garbage containers
- Remove rotting fruit and animal feces from the yard
- Seal compost piles
- Eliminate standing water in the yard
- Remove overgrown and dense vegetation
- Prune trees and shrubs away from the house
- Seal the attic and crawlspace vents with 1/4-inch wire mesh
- Cover holes in the foundation and along the roof line
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors
- Repair holes in window and door screens
- Repair leaking faucets and drains
Maintaining a clean, dry environment inside and outside the house is key to preventing a future infestation. When you contact ProForce Pest Control for rodent control in Charlotte, a trained service professional will help you identify other entry points and attractants around your house.
The Pros To Know For The Best Rodent Control For Your Home
If you found this article because you searched for "pest and rodent control near me," you found your answer. ProForce Pest Control has years of experience providing rodent control services to our area. Our method begins with a phone interview to learn about your situation and needs. Next, we dispatch a service professional to thoroughly inspect your home for entry points, attractants, and signs of a rodent infestation. We will share the findings of our investigation, and with your approval of our plan, we will begin the rodent removal process.
Our rodent control method continues with the strategic installation of monitoring stations around the exterior and snap and live traps for the interior. We also perform minor exclusion work to seal cracks and gaps around incoming plumbing and wiring; we close small holes in the foundation. We offer sanitation services for severe infestations. Contact us today to learn about our residential and commercial pest control services in Charlotte and start your plan to remove rodents.