Don't Let Rodent Infestations In Hendersonville Go Untreated

Signs Of Rodents In Your Home

Hendersonville residents often leave rodents untreated, even after seeing a rodent, because they think they only have one little rodent. You should know that you'll rarely see or hear rodents in your home, but it is wise to take action when you do see one because it is a sign that you have lots of them—or you will soon. Rats and mice reproduce quickly. You don't have to take our word for it. If you want to know how many rodents you really have in your home, there are ways to find out.

Holes: Rats and mice chew holes in many things. While they are considered domestic rodents, they're definitely not domesticated rodents. They make terrible houseguests. Rodents can chew on your home and your stuff. Finding holes can give you an idea of how extensive your problem is. They can also reveal whether you have big rodents or small rodents. An adult mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime. An adult rat needs a hole the size of a quarter.

• Look down low and underneath the overhangs of cabinets.
• Inspect baseboards and sheetrock.
• Check food packages in your pantry.
• Check stored furniture and cardboard boxes.
• Examine the exterior of your home and check weatherstripping, door and window frames, door sweeps, ventilation caps, and gaps around pipes.

Droppings: Another thing you can expect from undomesticated rodents is that they don't go outside to do their business. Sorry. It's gross but true. Wild rodents leave their droppings everywhere they explore. They also leave them in and around their nests. You can use droppings to help you determine how many rodents you have and whether or not you have a current infestation.

• Look around and underneath appliances.
• Look behind items on the floor in your pantry.
• Check the backs of drawers, cabinets, and shelves.
• Check on top of attic insulation.

When you find droppings, take a moment to examine them. Wear a mask and protective rubber gloves as you do this. Droppings that crumble are old and could indicate an old infestation. Droppings that are black, shiny, and squishy indicate a current infestation. A large number of droppings could mean a large number of rodents, but keep in mind that one mouse can leave more than fifty droppings in your home in a single day. 

Grease Marks: Rats and mice groom themselves often, but it is hard to stay on top of grooming when you're on the run. They have many predators. So they tend to have greasy fur. They'll likely leave grease marks as they move about inside your Hendersonville home because they tend to run along walls. These marks are thicker when you have a large population.

• Look for grease marks on baseboards.
• Check for grease marks around holes.
• Inspect stored cardboard boxes for grease marks.

Nests: Rats and mice often create nests inside homes. Locating nests in your home can help you measure the scale of your infestation. As you look for nests, you may also see rodents. Here are a few places to look.

• Look between studs and trusses or underneath insulation in an unfinished attic space.
• Look inside stored items in your attic. Rodents make their nests in enclosed spaces, such as a dresser drawer, a couch cushion, or the soft innards of a mattress. They'll also get inside cardboard boxes.
• Look in the voids of drop-down ceilings.

Pets Acting Funny: Dogs and cats can hear and smell things you can't. When rodents get into a home, pets are usually the first to know. Watch to see if your dog or cat acts funny in the kitchen or near the pantry. While this won't tell you how many rodents you have in your home, it is still a helpful warning sign of a problem.

The signs provided above are all subtle. There are a few ways rats and mice are not subtle. When rodents are obvious, you're not likely to put up with them. You're not likely to tolerate bumping and scraping in your walls, frequently damaged food packages in your pantry, or the scent of urine. Whether signs are subtle or obvious, when you detect rodents in your home, it is important that you address the problem.

Can Rodents In Your House Make You Sick?

Another reason Hendersonville residents put off dealing with a rodent problem is that they don't think rodents will harm them. In many ways, they won't. But you should know that rats and mice can make you sick. They can do this without touching you. We're not going to get into details, but we highly recommend that you check out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have to say about rodents and diseases. Rodents are known to spread bacteria, parasitic worms, and human pathogens. They also bring ticks and fleas inside. The longer you allow rodents to go untreated, the more rodents you'll have in your home. As the population grows, their ability to make you sick will also grow.    

The Safest Way To Get Rid Of Rodents In Hendersonville

Sometimes residents leave rodents untreated without realizing it. How? They do this because they attempt to control rats and mice with products or methods that don't work, and they aren't aware of how to inspect their homes for rodents. Some of the ways people try to get rid of rodents are more harmful than the rodents themselves. What is the safest way to get rid of rodents effectively? Let a licensed service professional take care of the problem.

All-American Pest Control offers industry-leading rodent control in Hendersonville. Our service professionals use Integrated Pest Management, baits, traps, and field-tested methods to arrest rodent infestations. Rodent control is a process. There is no quick fix. We systematically work the problem until all the rodents are gone. 

Tips To Keep Rodents Away From Your Home For Good

Once the rodents in your home are gone, we can help you keep them gone with All-For-One home pest control. We provide layers of protection that address the food sources that attract rodents to your property and the entry points they use to get inside your home. We may also use tamper-resistant traps to cull rodent populations. When you have fewer rodents exploring your home's exterior, you'll have fewer rodents getting inside your home. Makes sense, right? There are also many steps you can take to keep rodents away from your home.

• Get your trash to the curb weekly. When trash sits for a week, it can make your receptacles stinky. You don't like that unpleasant odor, but rodents do. It can attract rodents from a distance. Wash your receptacles if they acquire a stinky odor.
• Remove birdfeeders or move them well away from your exterior. Rats and mice love seeds. They may not even wait for seeds to fall to the ground. They'll climb right up there and get the seeds from the source.
• Rake nuts and store them away from your exterior. For added protection, put nuts in a plastic or rubber bin to keep them off the ground. Nuts are a dietary staple for rodents.
• Remove hiding places rodents use. A clutter-free yard is a rodent-resistant yard. When you trim landscaping and leave space between plants, it makes it hard for rodents to find places to hide.
• Apply fencing material to block access to voids underneath structures, such as your back deck. Install the material at least a food below the surface of the ground to prevent rodents from tunneling under.

Do you have questions about rodents that were not addressed in this article? Reach out to us. We can guide you over the phone or by e-mail. Our pest control service team is super friendly and knowledgeable. You don't have to let rodents drive you crazy, damage your property, or make you sick. We're here to help.

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