| Many animals are rodents; here we will only cover rats and
mice. |
| Rodents have adapted very well to the human way of life and
decided it is a much easier life with us in the urban areas than
out in the woods. They love our warm homes, the easy food
sources, and not having to deal with natural predators. |
|
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| In the United States two of the most common species of rats, the
Norway or (sewer rat) and the Roof or (black) rat, are the ones you will
most likely be troubled by. |
| The Norway rat is found in every state in the Union. Usually brown.
Large species may measure over 12 inches in length, and weigh over a
pound. The normally stay close to ground level, and generally nest in
burrows in the soil. They eat about anything, grains, meats, vegetable,
and even dog droppings. |
| The Roof rat is found mostly in the warmer climates. It is darker,
more towards black, and may be lighter colored on the belly. They are
smaller and have a more slender build than the Norway, and tails longer
than the body. They generally will be found nesting above ground. (See
description below) |
|
Both Norway and Roof Rats require regular sources of
food and water, and must have nesting, and hiding areas. Rats will have
a general forage area of approximately 100ft. They will however extend
that if needed. |
|
Rats cause damage in many ways, including:
Chewing/gnawing on items to gain access, and also just to chew. They
must continue to chew and wear down their teeth, because the teeth
continually grow. They also damage by contamination of any surface they
walk on, urinate on, or by introducing fecal material into. They destroy
millions more dollars of food product from contamination than from the
actual consumption. |
|
House Mouse |
|
The house mouse is a small, dark gray rodent. When fully grown its body
is about three inches long and its tail about the same length. Sometimes
young Norway rats are mistaken for mice, but can be easily
distinguished. The tail and body are about the same length on the mouse
as noted before, whereas the tail of the Norway is shorter than the
body. (See description below) |
|
Mice will feed on a variety of items, dead bugs (yum, yum), live
insects, seeds, etc. Mice do not require a separate water source; they
can obtain all needed moisture from their food. |
|
Mice have a habit a staying close to their food source, I have seen
where mice have been born, lived, and raised young in a single stack of
feed on a pallet. Mice have a limited range of maybe only 10-15 ft if
all needed items are available, (food, shelter). Mice will of course go
as far as needed to obtain these items. |
|
Mice of course do not like the cold any more than you do and will seek
out a nice warm place to spend the winter, (your house). |
|
Control |
| Rodent control will begin with a complete inspection. We
will look for signs of infestation: gnawing, droppings, rub
marks, etc. Areas of access: pipe openings, crawl door not
sealed, vents not sealed, etc. We will determine the best method
of control dependent upon which rodent we are dealing with, and
where they are active |
| Most control projects will be a service of station placement
and correcting any open access areas. The procedure may also
include placement of exterior stations. Regular bait replacement
is also needed. After about 90 days the baits will become rancid
and mold may form. The rodents will not eat the bait after
contamination, or it has gone bad. |
|
Call and our representative will be able to schedule a
service for you. |
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