Rodent Prevention Tips: Keep Mice and Rats Out of Your Spokane WA Home

Hello! Welcome to our Blog! In this article, we're focusing on rodents, specifically mice and rats. Our hopes for our blog is to educate you on certain pests and give you helpful preventive tips or solutions if an infestation occurs.

Mice and Rat Information and Facts: Let's start out with rodent facts and work our way towards preventive tips and signs of an infestation.

Did you know that rodents have the same five senses people do; touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Can you guess which one is their strongest sense?

It might surprise you to learn that rodents possess a highly developed sense of smell, which aids them in locating food, nests, pathways, and mates. They will gnaw through containers, trash bins, or anything else if they detect the scent of food.

Their hearing is a close second in terms of their strongest senses. Rodents can perceive sounds in the range of 100 Hz to 90,000 Hz, while humans hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. They usually avoid noisy environments and prefer to nest in quiet areas. Can you imagine having such exceptional hearing?

Out of all their senses, sight is their weakest one. It is probably why they are mostly nocturnal, they can avoid more predators under the cover of the dark. However, they do have good peripheral vision that allows them to detect movements.

I bet you're wondering, if they can't see well, how do they navigate so effectively?

They primarily rely on their sense of touch, especially their whiskers. They like to stay close to walls and edges. With one side of their body touching the wall, they know no predators can approach from that direction. They swiftly move along runways, pathways, and walls using muscle memory rather than sight.

Fun Fact: Fully grown mice need just a 1/4 inch opening to squeeze through and rats need as little as 1/2 inch to gain entry into your home or anywhere!

Rodents are not only a nuisance but they're a serious health and safety risk. 

• Spread disease:  Mice and rats can transmit Hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis. 

• Cause property damage: They chew insulation, wires, and drywall. 

• Reproduce rapidly: A small problem can turn into an infestation in a matter of weeks. Rats and mice can bred quickly and a lot! The average liter size for a mouse is 3-14 pups, 10 litters per year, 50-120 offspring per year. Rats can have up to 18 pups in a single birth and they can start reproducing from 6-12 weeks of age.

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Rodent and mice prevention:

Some preventative measures you can do to prevent a mice or rat infestation in and around your home.

• Rats and mice are attracted to food and water sources. They're always looking for the most convenient places to hide especially, during fall and winter when temperatures drop. They can gain easy access into your home through your garage, attics, or crawlspaces. Seal up any small holes inside using caulking, foam seals, or spackling. For exterior holes, you can get instant cement, patching compounds, and waterproof caulking to fill in any gaps to prevent rodents from coming in. Rodent steel wool/excluder can be used as a temporary deterrent to fill in gaps or holes. (Please check with your pest control technician before filling in holes if you have or recently had an infestation).

• Clean up garbage around your home. Keep cooking areas and grills clean.

• Please put pet food, grass seed, and any animal feed away after use and sealed up in a tight container. Preferably a rodent proof container (tight sealing lid that is metal or made of think plastic).

• Clean up brush and weeds around your home, especially around the foundation.

• Remove potential rodent nesting sites from your property, including leaf piles and deep mulch.

• Trim back overhanging trees that enable mice or rats to jump or climb onto your roof.

Signs You May Have a Rodent Problem

• Droppings in cupboards, along walls, under the sinks, in garages/and or sheds.

• Scratching or chewing noises at night

• Gnaw marks on food packaging or wires

• Seeing mice during the day. They're usually nocturnal so if you're seeing them during the day, it means there is a lot of mice around.

• Holes in the corners of walls or stairs

Taking care of the issue early saves you time, money, and stress. We offer Free Consultation and Inspections if you suspect you have a mice or rodent infestation, we would be happy to take care it. Our services include pest control for residential and commercial properties.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, we hope you found it helpful.

Please check out our other blog articles for more pest control tips and information. You can check out our services at: https://www.behrpestsolutions.com/