Three common rodents that you may find around your home or business are the deer mouse, the house mouse, and the Norway rat.
The deer mouse has a bi-coloured appearance: the upper portion of the body and tail is medium to dark-brown, while the underside of the tail, feet and stomach area is white. The eyes, ears and body of a deer mouse are slightly larger than those of a house mouse. They measure between 5 to 8 inches long.
The house mouse is a small, slender rodent that has a slightly pointed nose; small, black, somewhat protruding eyes; large, mostly hairless ears, and a nearly hairless tail with visible scale rings. They are generally gray-brown with a gray stomach.
The Norway rat has a blunt nose and small close-set ears. The tail is scaly, semi-naked and shorter than the head and body combined. Their fur is coarse and usually brownish or reddish-gray above, and whitish-gray on the belly. Black coloured Norway rats can occur in some locations.
CONTROL OPTIONS
The best solution for problems with rodents is exclusion. Seal all openings to the outside, including wood around doors and windows; repair masonry and seal openings for utility lines, conduits, and drains. Seal entry holes with ¼ inch of hardware cloth, sheet metal or soffit, or copper wool. Pay particular attention to any hole approximately the diameter of a pencil. In some situations, exterior perimeter trapping may prevent a population from becoming established indoors.
All food must be stored in properly sealed jars or tins and kept in containers with tight-fitting lids. Garbage should be prevented from accumulating and eliminate any water sources that may also prove attractive.
Once rodents take up residence indoors, many techniques for control are effective, including baited and un-baited snap-traps, windup multi-catch mouse traps, glue boards, and anticoagulant rodenticides. Often times, a rodent infestation is underestimated, ensure to use a sufficient number of devices for the job.
The use of properly labelled rodenticide in tier 1 exterior bait stations around a property is useful in eliminating an infestation. The use of snap traps with peanut butter bait, chocolate syrup or bacon grease work well. For best results, be sure to pre-bait snap traps and leave them unset for a few days so that rodents can get used to them. After a few days you should set the traps.
Due to increased concern over Hantavirus, deer mouse populations in structures should be eliminated as quickly as possible. Do not clean deer mouse droppings. Dead rodents, their nests, and droppings should be removed immediately by properly trained individuals.
The best way to eliminate your rodent issue for good is to hire a pest control professional. Our trained experts can properly assess your needs; know which products you will require and the critical locations to where traps are necessary. We will get rid of your rodent problem for good!