Nobody ever wants to realize they have uninvited guests in their home—especially mice, rats or other rodents. These little critters have plagued humans for thousands of years in both the city and the country and are here to stay.
If you suspect your home is hosting these furry intruders, then it’s always best to act quickly and eliminate the problem sooner rather than later.
Knowing how to spot red flags is the first step towards making yourself a proactive homeowner, so read on for some tips in identifying the signs of rodent infestation:
- Droppings: A blaring signal that it’s time for rodent extermination is spotting droppings around the house, especially near food packages or in kitchen hiding spaces like the pantry or drawers. Rat droppings, for example, tend to be black (the blacker the fresher). They’re usually roughly the size of a grain of rice and sausage- Mouse droppings, on the other hand, are smaller with pointed ends.
- Nesting material: Rodents love to be warm and cozy. They’ll do pretty much anything to create a nice soft nest, including tearing through insulation, paper, fabric and even dried plants. They’ll then use this material to build the nesting throughout your house. Know to look for scraps of shredded material; these could be the sign of rodent infestation.
- Chewed food packaging: Like any other animal, rodents need to eat. If they’re setting up shop in your house, they’ll try and get at some of the easiest sources of food by raiding your pantry. They’ll chew through cardboard like it’s nothing as they try to get at cookies and crackers, so keep an eye out for damaged packaging.
- Unidentifiable stale smells: If you’re getting a musty and/or stale smell that you can’t quite pinpoint, then it might be time for a rodent extermination. Rodents’ nests can be quite smelly thanks to their urine and droppings, and they usually nest out of sight. What you might be catching a whiff of is a rodent’s nest behind your wall—that’s when it’s time to call in a pest control expert.
- Chewed holes: These usually don’t look like the little black semi-circle holes in the cartoons, but holes in your walls and floors can be a major red flag for rodent infestation. Rodents can chew their own entries and exits with their strong teeth, so watch your molding and siding for any new holes, especially jagged and irregular ones.
Rodent infestation can really take a toll in your home in short order. They can chew through power cords, ruin insulation with their urine and even contribute to illness within your own family.
If you know the signs listed above, then you can catch such an infestation early and call in the pros. Our team at Excellence Pest Control has been in the extermination field for almost 20 years, so we hope that you’ll give us a call today for a free estimate on all of your rodent control needs—we even offer emergency service!