You can leave pest control in Longview up to us – it's our specialty. With that said, the process starts right in your home, with you becoming informed on some best practices for keeping rodents away. Below are some handy bits of knowledge and tips for keeping rodents out of your home, and what to do about them if they do make their way inside.
The Kinds Of Rodents That Invade Longview Properties
Both rats and mice commonly invade Longview properties. Mice are the smaller of the two, around 2 ½ to 3 ¾ inches, not including their tails. They are usually a dusty gray color and have round bodies. Rats, on the other hand, are much larger, around seven to nine inches in body length. They are usually brownish with some black hairs, and have more elongated bodies than mice.
Why You Don't Want Rodents Hanging Around Your Property
You can certainly do worse than a pet hamster if it's caged, but rodents are pretty terrible neighbors if they're not contained.
- They have incredibly sharp, ever-growing teeth, and they love to chew through things like wires. Homes have burned down and structural challenges costing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more have come about thanks to rodents and their love of chewing!
- They can carry diseases with them that may make you or your loved ones ill.
- Rodents can spread from one home to another and to adjacent wooded areas, giving them an easy "in" whenever they want it, potentially for years to come. Effective rodent control can be nearly impossible at this stage without professional intervention.
- While not the most likely scenario with smaller rodents, some may actually bite, scratch, or become aggressive, which may cause injury.
As you can see, rodents may make good pets for some, but it's a different story entirely when you're trying to get rid of rodents that have gotten loose or made their way in from outdoors.
How To Make Your Property Less Inviting To Rodents
There are some techniques and best practices when it comes to preventing rodents from making your home a destination in the first place. Some people even try to put plants that deter rodents in their gardens.
- Keep the floor space in your home very open and free of clutter. Rodents really hate not having bits of safe cover to run in and out of, so they tend not to like large, open floor areas. To them, that's like being in a field with hawks watching overhead and no bush to run into to stay out of harm's way.
- Seal any holes in the walls or floorboards.
- Get a cat – they'll be more than grateful for the opportunity to be on mouse patrol for you and your property.
- Take the trash out regularly. It's food the rodents want, after all.
Though they may sound like basic chores and like something your significant other was already hounding you about, these tips are an excellent way to get a head start on making your home as unwelcome as possible to rodents.
The Key To Total Rodent Control For Longview Properties
Rodent pest control is a challenge, but it's not an insurmountable one. We certainly have a measure of respect for homeowners who are up for the task of tackling a rodent infestation on their own. That said, you're simply out-gunned!
Rodents are too efficient at hiding, reproducing, climbing, and damaging human infrastructure like wires and wood for you to be able to combat an infestation once it's taken hold. It's too risky to trust that there will be no damage to your property, too.
Rodents in walls are another huge roadblock for homeowners – there's simply no way for you to get to them sometimes. Only a professional team of rodent removal experts can handle an out-of-control infestation.
That's where Pest-Pro Services, Inc. comes into play. We're the leading experts on rodent control for Longview residents and the surrounding areas, and we're only a phone call away.