Rodents are one of those pests that just keep bringing the hits. They destroy property – up to and including causing a total loss. They spread diseases that can lead to hospitalization and even death. They introduce secondary infestations into your home. Pretty much anything that can go wrong with a rodent infestation, will go wrong at some point, meaning you need to eliminate infestations fast. That's why rodents need to be among the top priorities on your Ogden pest control list.
How To Identify Common Types Of Rodents In Ogden
Utah has lots of different types of rodents. Common ones you might run into in your home or yard include:
- Squirrels
- Voles
- Gophers
- Chipmunks
- Mice
- Rats
While tree-dwelling and burrowing rodents like squirrels and gophers can cause some problems, the biggest rodent threat to your home is by far rats and mice. These rodents not only live in the closest proximity to you and your family and pets, but they also carry the most diseases that threaten people. This means your rodent control efforts can encompass all rodent species, but they should focus primarily on mice and rats.
How Rodents Create Damage And Spread Disease
The biggest threats with any rodent infestation are property damage and disease. Rodents have to constantly chew on hard items to grind down their incessantly growing teeth. This means they chew on everything from plumbing to wall studs to electrical wiring. That last item can be especially problematic, as rodents causing shorts by chewing on live wires is a major cause of accidental house fires.
Not only can rodents burn down your house, but they might just do it while you're recovering in the hospital from one of the diseases they passed to you when they left their droppings in your food stores or contaminated your countertops with their filthy feet. Common diseases rodents carry include:
- Rat-bite fever
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
- Salmonellosis
- Plague
These are serious diseases that should not be taken lightly. Furthermore, rodents can also indirectly expose you to tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease by carrying infected ticks onto your property.
Five Eco-Friendly Rodent Exclusion Tips For Around The House
The best strategy for rodent control is rodent prevention. Rodents are notoriously difficult to get rid of once you have them, but if you follow these tips, you might never have to worry about that:
- Cover all indoor and outdoor garbage cans at all times.
- Store pantry foods in airtight, hard plastic containers.
- Seal up potential rodent entryways with rodent mesh.
- Never leave pet foods or dirty pet bowls sitting out.
- Declutter your home and yard to reduce hiding places.
Rodents are looking for easy access to shelter and meals when they enter your home. If you make accessing their basic needs harder, rodents might just decide your house is too much trouble and move on.
Ogden's Secret Weapon To Complete Rodent Control
As we said above, it can be notoriously tough to get rid of rodents once you have them. Snap traps only kill one rodent at a time, and even poisons don't kill in sufficient numbers to outpace rodents' breeding speed. Not to mention rat poison can be as dangerous to pets and small children as it is to rodents.
All this means you're better off depending on the pros here at Mountain West Pest Control. Our rodent experts can do what store-bought products can't. They can permanently and completely eliminate your infestation. So don't wait til your rodent problem is out of control. Give us a call or visit our contact page today!