Keeping Rodents Out: Expert Control Strategies For Roseville Properties

Rodents are a common sight in Roseville yards. We're sure you see furry-tailed rodents all the time. Squirrels are daytime animals, but the other rodents that may come onto your property are nocturnal. Perhaps you know this. But do you know that nocturnal rodents do many of the same things as squirrels? Think about that the next time you see a squirrel using a power line like a superhighway or when you see a squirrel climb a tree with ease. Mice and rats can do this too. Unfortunately, when mice and rats do these things, they can infiltrate your home and decide to stay. While squirrels are sometimes pests, they don't stay long. Mice and rats are the real problem. 

Let's examine these two unique critters and zero in on a few important facts related to keeping them out of your home. If you'd like to speak to someone directly about rodent control in Roseville, remember that we're just a phone call away. Your Neighborly Pest Management team is here to help you solve even the toughest rodent issues.

Rodent Behavior Insights: Navigating The Habits Of Mice And Rats

When mice and rats scurry around in the dark, they do a few common things that may interest you as you work to keep them out of your house. These behaviors connect directly to steps you can take to reduce activity near and block access to your home. Let's take a closer look:

  • Rodents can move quickly through the dark by feeling the objects in their environment, which is quite impressive actually.
  • Rodents are attracted to your yard by available food sources. Some common foods that attract them include bird seed, nuts that fall from trees, berries, fruit, bugs, cookout food, and garbage.
  • Rodents avoid spending time out in the open, where they might become prey for certain birds. As they move through your yard, they seek woodpiles, junk piles, stored objects with cavities, voids underneath structures, dense vegetation, and other hiding places.
  • Rodents are thigmotactic, which is a fancy word for an animal that is the opposite of claustrophobic; they prefer to squeeze into tight spaces. What this means is that they'll explore every crack, hole, or gap in your exterior. They can't help themselves. 
  • Rodents climb trees, rough exterior materials on homes, pipes, lattices, and more. We strongly urge you not to underestimate their ability to get up to your roof or gable vents.

Rats and mice in Roseville possess many abilities that are rather astonishing if you've ever seen these animals in action. But they do all of these amazing things, mostly under the cover of darkness. If you see evidence of a rodent infestation, it is wise to take quick action to deal with the problem.

Health Risks Of Rodent Invasions: Protecting Your Family And Pets

How do rodents in Roseville harm your family and your pets? Are they dangerous animals? No. They rarely confront humans or animals directly. The problem with rats and mice is that they do things that accidentally damage property or spread sickness. Here are a few quick facts to understand:

  • Rodents gnaw. Their incisors continually grow; if not filed down, these teeth can harm them and eventually prevent them from eating. Therefore, they chew on things, lots of things. The holes they create can cost you money to repair. They can also enable secondary pests, rainwater, humidity, and mold spores to enter your home.
  • Rodents sometimes cut wires. Rats and mice chew on wires inside walls. A live wire can cause a spark and ignite a fire.
  • Rodents climb in dirty places, and their fur often becomes covered in pathogens. When they then crawl around clean areas, they can contaminate them with the invisible organisms in their fur.
  • Rodents leave droppings and urine along baseboards, inside wall voids, on insulation, and in other hidden places. As an infestation grows, they can leave their waste in drawers, cabinets, and other areas.
  • Rodents pick up ticks, fleas, and other parasites. They can transfer these to your dog or cat or drop them inside your home as they explore. These parasites can also transmit diseases to humans and pets.

As you can see, rodents are clever and resourceful animals that accidentally damage property and spread harmful organisms. Let's take what we've discussed and use these facts to help you keep rodents out of your Roseville home.

Proactive Rodent Control: Preventing Infestations Before They Begin

Rodents have comparable behavior patterns. If you understand how they behave and what they're attracted to, this information can help with your rodent prevention efforts. Let's explore some you can take before rodents get into your home.

Remove Clutter On The Ground: 

Since rodents navigate using objects lying on the ground, picking things up in your yard can deter rodents. Don't underestimate the impact of a wide-open lawn. When a mouse or rat comes to the edge of your property and cannot sense objects nearby, they don't like it. Removing clutter and junk has even more impact on Norway rats because they want to create burrows underneath junk piles. 

Pick Up Food: 

Depending on your property, many food sources can fall onto the ground in your yard. If you have trees that produce nuts or fruit, these leave tasty treats for rodents to munch on, and squirrels aren't the only rodents that like nuts and fruit. It is hard work to get out there and clean up nuts or fruit, but it is well worth the effort if you want to reduce pest problems. 

Guard Food Sources: 

It's sometimes impossible to remove some food sources in your yard; you'll need to guard them, though. Install fencing around your garden or berry bushes. Install rodent guards around the base of any fruit tree to deter rodents from getting up onto the branches. Make sure all trash is in covered containers that are rodent-proof. If you have bird feeders, make sure they hang from rodent-resistant metal poles. Why are metal poles resistant to rodents? It's because they can't get their claws into the metal to climb up. But the metal has to be smooth.

Address Hiding Places: 

Rodents scurrying about your property are looking for places to hide. They'll hide under your shed, back deck, stairs, and other structural voids. A solid solution is to apply chicken wire or hardware cloth to keep them out of these spaces. When installing your fencing material, make sure to insert it into the ground at least a foot.

Remove Enticing Gaps: 

Rodents can't help but explore any tiny opening or make small holes into larger holes. While rodents can chew through expanding foam and caulking materials, they typically don't because they don't think to do so. Inspect your exterior and seal every entry point you can find. 

Block Routes: 

Rodents climb and jump to reach high places. There are a few common routes they may take to get inside. They may scale pipes, so install rodent guards to prevent them from climbing the side of your home. They go up downspouts, so block these off with wire mesh. They climb trees and jump from tree branches to roofs, so trim back branches. They run along power lines, so put something in their way.

You can deter rodents and reduce rodent activity by applying these simple-to-understand rodent control methods that counteract the natural behavior patterns that drive mice and rats. When more control is needed, it is best to contact a pest control service provider, like Neighborly Pest Management in Roseville. 

Professional Rodent Control: The Best Way To Keep Mice And Rats Away

Common rodents have similar behavior patterns. A licensed professional, like those at Neighborly Pest Management, will use specialized products and methods developed by industry experts to reduce rodent populations and keep these pests away from the exterior of your home. Along with direct control of rodents, a pest management professional (PMP) can reduce bugs around your home, one of the food choices that mice and rats enjoy.

Rodent control is a science. Your PMP will identify the specific rodent species, select the appropriate control methods, and apply them strategically to get the best results. Every home is unique, and each rodent has its own unique behavior patterns. If you're in Roseville, contact Neighborly Pest Management for professional rodent control near you. We offer comprehensive services that go above and beyond many other service providers in the area. We provide free inspections, exclusion services, trapping, baiting, insulation replacement, sanitation services, and more. You can contact us by phone or email for details about these services or to request a service visit.

The team at Neighborly Pest Management looks forward to helping you control rodents in and around your home and providing you with a long-lasting solution to help prevent future problems. When it comes to battling pest problems in Roseville and the surrounding area, you're never alone. Connect with us today.