The Dangers of a Rodent Infestation Where You Live or Work
Rodents like mice and rats can get inside homes and commercial buildings through the smallest openings. Once inside, rodents will immediately set up a home base in a safe spot away from people, then go out exploring the rest of the place in search of food, water and materials to build their nest.
Rats and mice are programmed to procreate—there’s really no way around this. The thing about rodents is that they can be quiet when they want to be. As such, you must be on the lookout for other signs of a rodent infestation where you live or work.
An obvious sign of some sort of pest problem is picking up the distinctive, foul-smelling scent of rodent urine in more enclosed areas, like the attic or a garage cabinet. Or, you may open a drawer in the kitchen and find it filled with little torpedo-shaped rodent droppings. Some homeowners have actually found rodent nests hidden behind stored boxes, or even seen mice run across the floor right in front of them, only to escape under a large kitchen appliance.
Discovering rodents living in your house is one thing—it’s another to truly understand what it means to have this particular type of pest problem. Let’s take a look at the dangers of a rodent infestation in your central Illinois home or workplace.
Chewing
Rodents have their reasons for chewing holes. Namely, they chew holes to get inside your house, to access food and to file down their ever-growing teeth. However, chewing can weaken exterior walls and damage building materials and wires. Big holes can allow conditioned air to escape and the outdoor elements to get inside.
Contaminating food and surfaces
Rodents are dirty creatures that have no problem with rolling in a pile of roadside garbage one day and your pantry items the next. They can bring harmful bacteria into your home, which contaminates the food in your cabinets and all the surfaces they touch. Dishes, utensils, countertops, furniture—nothing is off limits!
Spreads diseases and parasites
Rodents are known to spread pathogens that are harmful, and in some cases even deadly to humans. The most noteworthy are hantavirus (a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease), lymphocytic choriomeningitis (a rodent-borne viral infection), the plague (death occurs in rare cases) and tularemia (an ulceroglandular disease characterized by a swelling of the lymph glands).
Rodents can also bring parasites into homes. They can bring in ticks, fleas, lice and mites, which all pose additional infestation worries.
Reasons to hire a local pest control professional
Because rats and mice present a number of health and structural risks, it’s imperative that you hire a licensed professional to handle the problem. Pest control professionals are trained to inspect homes for infestations and provide a variety of treatment options to homeowners. They know which products and methods work best, and they will make sure the job is done right.
Don’t ignore a rodent infestation in your central Illinois home or business. Call Crist Termite and Pest Solutions, Inc. and we’ll send a fearless pest control professional your way!
Categorised in: Rodent Control