Rodents

Rodents are a type of mammal and are part of the order Rodentia. They are found living throughout most of the world. Rodents are all characterized by a single pair of front incisors in their upper and lower jaws that continuously grow. Two of the most well-known species of rodents are rats and mice. Both are adaptable, live in diverse habitats, and are active throughout the year. The most noticeable difference between the two is that adult rats are much larger in size than adult mice.

Rats and mice are common invaders of businesses. They are initially attracted to properties that offer easy access to food, water, and shelter. Open garbage cans, gardens, pet food, bird feeders, fruit trees, and compost piles will cause rodents to make your property into their new home. After making themselves at home on your property, mice and rats will eventually find their way into your building, usually while foraging for food. Inside, they will forage for and contaminate food, spread disease and bacteria, and cause structural damage by chewing through pipes, wires, insulation, flooring, and drywall.

Preventing problems with mice, rats, and other rodents can be difficult. To stop your building from being invaded by these dangerous and damaging pests it is important to make it as unappealing to them as possible by removing wood piles, piles of leaves, garbage, and debris from your property so that rodents can't hide or nest within, eliminating as many water sources as possible, making sure outdoor trash cans should have tight-fitting lids, establishing gardens, compost piles, and wood piles a good distance away from the exterior of your building, sealing any cracks in your building's foundation and exterior walls, filling in spaces around utilities entering your building through its exterior, repairing or replacing loose or missing roof shingles, placing caps on chimneys, repairing holes along your roofline, and more.