The best way to avoid pests is to take early preventative steps to keep them out in the first place. But what about when pests, like rodents, are already there? Total elimination isn’t easy and improperly handling the situation can expose you to added dangers and even make the problem worse.
Rodents In Pittsburgh
The two most common invasive rodents in Pittsburgh are mice and rats. Both invade properties in search of easy access to food, water, and shelter. While similar, rats and mice have key differences that will help you tell them apart:
Size: Rats are much larger than mice, typically twice the size. While mice usually grow to a few inches in length, rats can grow much larger.
Shape: With their more compact size comes a more fuzzball shape for mice, though their long tails trail fair behind them. Rats, on the other hand, have elongated faces and torsos with large, round haunches.
Ears: The easiest way to tell a mouse from a rat is to look at the ears. Mice have large, circular ears directly atop their heads while rat ears are tucked further back and are pinched at the edges.
The Dangers Of Rodents In Your Home
The reason it’s important to keep these pests out in the first place is that their mere presence on your property can expose you to significant dangers. Rodents are some of the most unhealthy and destructive pests around, capable of causing all of the following problems:
Damage: Rodents must file their ever-growing front teeth down by gnawing on hard surfaces. This leads to damage throughout a property, as they chew on common items and building materials.
Disease: Rodents carry some nasty diseases, like salmonella and plague. They can also carry parasites like fleas that bring additional risk factors into your home.
Odor: Rodents leave their urine and feces all over the place, contributing to foul odors that spread throughout your property.
You Get What You Pay For
Many things in life can be solved with a little personal time and investment. Unfortunately, people often put their energy toward unproven prevention methods or potentially dangerous extermination products. The second people notice rodents on their property, they often turn to baits and traps as a way of eliminating them. While these things can certainly be successful at killing a few mice or rats, they will do nothing to truly curb the overall problem.
Rodents breed quickly and their pups mature fast, so focusing on the immediate rats or mice will only cover up the issues for a little while. Once their offspring grow up, your rodent problem will come right back, and the same methods aren’t likely to work the second time around. Rodents are crafty and more intelligent than we give them credit for. A failed attempt can simply cause them to hunker down and become more cautious. By then, you’ll have spent time and money on something that didn’t even really work.
Effective Service From Professionals
Rather than try to handle rodents on your own, the smart course is to seek out professional help. At Pestmaster® Services, we know how to root out and eliminate mice and rats -- not just the damaging adults but also the pups that will grow into problems of their own. Let us get started right away on an inspection of your property. We’ll thoroughly look for pests or any areas that may be attracting pests. We will then not only help you address any problems we find, we’ll keep providing assistance so that pest problems remain a thing of the past.
Get started on ultimate rodent protection from Pestmaster® Services by calling or visiting us online today.