Winter is coming, which means so are the rodents. Each year, an estimated 21 million U.S. homes are...
When people see a small mouse or a big rat, their reactions can vary. Homeowners and business owners throughout Long Island find these rodents adorable while others find them scary, but the truth is that regardless of how you feel about mice or rats, they are dangerous to have around the house.
While they might be tiny, mice can cause huge problems for property owners. They can damage property as they chew through many different materials, including drywall, furniture, wires, and more. Also, they pose many health risks as they can spread disease, carry parasites, cause allergic reactions, and trigger asthma attacks.
The other issue with house mice is that they have grown rather dependent on humans to thrive. They are well-adjusted to living inside of our buildings and using them for shelter and access to food and water.
Why Are Rodents So Hard to Get Out of Homes and Businesses?
Mice and rats are attracted to many things inside our homes and businesses, including small crumbs that we leave behind and excess moisture. Rodents can survive on bits of food, and they can also hide in tiny, dark areas behind walls or under flooring.
It’s extremely difficult to prevent mice and rats because they can fit through small holes. Mice can fit through holes the size of a dime and rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter. This makes it challenging to seal up every crack and crevice that they can push their way through. They can also create new openings because of their ability to chew through so many materials.
Once inside, mice and rats can be even harder to remove than they were to keep out. They reproduce very quickly, and they can hide in places that we can’t reach or often even see.
Fun Fact: If mice and rats are in the same property, rats will kill mice.
Six Rodent Prevention Tips
While rodents are one of the more challenging pests in the area to deter, this doesn't mean there aren’t effective steps to take. There are measures you can implement that can reduce the likelihood of an infestation.
Here is where you should start:
- Use steel wool and wire mesh to cover holes in the walls and foundation. It’s important to use materials that mice can’t chew through.
- Place wire mesh coverings on all vents so that mice can’t sneak their way inside through them.
- Reduce moisture around your home by ensuring good ventilation and using dehumidifiers. It's also important to fix leaky pipes and faucets and address any drainage issues.
- Clean up food waste by wiping up food and drink spills as soon as they happen and keeping kitchen spaces cleaned. This means doing dirty dishes and sweeping and mopping floors.
- Get lids for all garbage cans both inside the home and out. Remove trash and yard debris from around the property.
- Get professional pest assistance to help keep mice, rats, and other rodents away throughout the year.
These steps are a great start for preventing a rodent infestation, but they are likely not enough if mice and rats have already made their way inside your home or business.
How to Remove Rodent Infestations in Long Island
Because of the many concerns to your health that rodents can pose, removing infestations swiftly is important. The best way to completely remove rodents is with assistance from EM Pest Control. Instead of relying on products like traps and baits that won’t remove all of the mice, let our trained technicians do the work.
Find out more about our total rodent control services and request your free inspection by giving us a call or filling out the contact form.
