It can sometimes seem like there are more important issues around the Evansville area than dealing with pests, especially rodents. You probably get annoyed with roaches and ants infestations, but when’s the last time you worried about rats and mice before you actually saw one in your house? The scary truth is that rodents can present a threat to your home, health, and wallet. They’re a threat to be taken seriously, which is why the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) dedicates an entire week to rodent prevention awareness.
NPMA Rodent Awareness Week
The hard-working people of the NPMA dedicate themselves to keeping you safe from all the pests that may jeopardize your health and the house you take so much pride in caring for. Thus, each year in late October, the NPMA holds Rodent Awareness Week to inform people about the threat of rodents on their property and how to manage them as they attempt to infiltrate your home in the fall and winter months. The NPMA offers helpful information and provides a thorough slate of activities and programs throughout the week because it’s what they do. Their main focus is to inform people of the best practices for controlling pests on their properties.
If you’re anything like us, though, you may not have an entire week to worry about rodents. You’ve got bills to pay, things to do, and a life to live. You might barely have the 15 minutes to read this, and that’s okay. Let’s hit the highlights.
Rodents: A Threat To Health And Home
Did you know that rodents are one of the biggest concerns in America for health and home issues? This concern is especially true for rats, but the same principles apply to most rodents. Rats, and most rodents, tend to hang out in highly contaminated areas when they’re not infiltrating your home. And all of that bacteria they pick up in the sewer, the landfill, or the dumpster can easily be transferred into your house, onto your furniture, and all over your food preparation surfaces. They’ll also carry fleas into your home, that will make your pets and children very itchy and that carry diseases of their own.
Along with spreading bacteria and diseases like E. coli and salmonella, rats and other rodents can also cause a lot of damage to the structures of your house. Mice will chew through walls and linens with their sharp teeth, while rats will create lesions in your electrical wiring, often causing hundreds of dollars’ in damages.
Professional Prevention
How do you know if you have a rodent problem? Typically, mice and rats will leave dark droppings in the corners of rooms (usually the size of a grain of rice). If you notice these droppings or even just one mouse or rat, you most likely have an infestation as they rarely travel alone.
While there are ways to prevent mice and rats on your own, such as traps and poison, these methods are rarely 100% effective. Since both rodents have a high reproduction rate, you’ll wind up catching a few while dozens more are being born in your walls. Plus, you don’t want to risk catching a disease as you try to dispose of them.
For the safest and most effective prevention practices, you’ll want to call the professionals. It’s not worth the headache of constantly chasing your rodent problem only for it to worsen as you spend more and more money on traps and home remedies. For guaranteed results the first time, working with licensed pest control professionals is the only solution. Contact Action Pest Control for effective rodent control solutions.