Answering Rochester's Most Commonly Asked Rodent Control Questions

If you hear scurrying overhead or scratching in your walls, you may need Rochester rodent control to help eliminate rodents. Rodents invade homes for a variety of reasons, including the need for food, water, and shelter. This guide will tell you what type of rodents may infest your home, how dangerous it is to have them there, some tips to keep them away, and the best way to get rid of them for good.

What Type Of Rodents Invade Houses?

There are three types of rodents in Rochester that frequently invade houses: squirrels, mice, and rats. Specifically, Rochester homes may be invaded by:

• House mice
• Norway rats
• Roof rats
• Gray squirrels
• Red squirrels
• Flying squirrels

Some tell-tale signs that you have a rodent infestation include: 

• The presence of strong-smelling urine 
• Nests or burrows in your insulation, crawlspace, attic, or basement
• Droppings on countertops and floors that are between ⅛ and ¾ inch long, rod-shaped, and either pointed or blunt on the ends
• Rub marks along baseboards or walls where rodents walk with one side against the solid surface for protection
• Chewed cardboard boxes or other packaging in your pantry or cabinets
• Gnaw marks on cabinets, doors, door jambs, furniture, walls, baseboards, and floors

If you notice any of these indications of a rodent infestation, it's important for you to call for professional rodent control help, as rodents can be dangerous to have in your house.

How Dangerous Is It To Have Rodents In The House?

Rodents can be very dangerous to have in your home for two primary reasons: damage and diseases. When rodents gnaw on things, they aren't particular about what they're chewing on – they just have to gnaw. If they don't, their front teeth will overgrow. Mouse incisors can grow up to four inches per year, and rats' and squirrels' may grow up to nine inches.

Their constant need to chew becomes problematic when they're inside your walls, gnawing on lead or plastic pipes, cables, and electrical wires. If they chew into pipes, they could cause water damage from either water, gray water, or sewage. When they gnaw through cables, that means you could wind up with an expensive repair bill from your telephone, cable, or internet service provider. If they chew through electrical wires, they can cause a very serious fire hazard.

Rodents are also known disease carriers, infecting humans with many pathogens, including:

• Leptospirosis
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM)
• Tularemia
• Salmonella
• Rat-bite fever
• Ringworm

Because of all these dangers, you need to know how to get rid of rodents in your Rochester house: Call in the professionals from RodentX Wildlife Control to eliminate them for you.

What Are Some Tips To Keep Rodents Away?

The first step in keeping rodents away from your house is keeping them out of your yard. For example, you should keep rodents out of your garden by putting in plants that deter them, such as mint, daffodils, lavender, sweet pea, grape hyacinths, wood hyacinths, and catnip. You should also get rid of other food sources, including dropped fruit or nuts from trees in your yard, your pets' food bowls, and bird seed.

Remove water sources such as birdbaths, pet water bowls, leaky faucets, faulty sprinkler systems, and standing water from downspouts, so rodents don't have a reason to linger over their favorite watering hole in your yard.

Then, make your house a fortress. Seal any cracks or crevices in your foundation with ¼ inch hardware cloth or silicone caulk. Cover vents, weep holes, and eaves with hardware cloth. Use door sweeps and repair gaps around your doors and windows. Cap your chimney.

The easiest way to get rid of rodents is to never have them in your home in the first place.

What's The Best Way To Get Rid Of A Rodent Infestation?

If you have rodents in your New York home, the best way to get rid of them is to call a professional rodent removal company like RodentX Wildlife Control. We not only get rid of rodents, but we also remediate the damage they've done to your insulation and drywall, so they no longer harbor any potential disease vectors. Contact us today for your free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial wildlife control services in Rochester.