September 15, 2020 - Rodents
Eustis residents need to know all about effective rodent prevention; otherwise, their properties are bound to house mice and rats. Rodents are a common infestation throughout Lake County, and if you aren’t careful, they are certain to make a nest in your home or business. A rodent infestation can harm your health, your sense of safety, and your enjoyment of beautiful Florida. Before that happens, let’s explore the different rodents common to the Eustis area and talk about ways to prevent them from getting inside.
Rodent Identification Guide For Eustis Property Owners
The rodent family includes rabbits, squirrels, and beavers, but there are two rodent species every homeowner should worry about: mice and rats. These two pests are easy to confuse with each other, but they each have different distinct traits – and cause similar problems.
Mice are a common pet for certain families, and also a common pest. These rodents are smaller compared to rats and also vary in color. The most common mice are deer mice and house mice. Deer mice are grayish-brown, slender rodents with larger ears, while house mice are brown, black, gray, or white, and have smaller ears.
Rats also vary in size and color. There are a few different rat species common to Lake County, but chief among them are the Norway rat and the roof rat. Norway rats grow to around 11 inches in length, have muddy brown coats, and are fairly rounded compared to other rats. Roof rats, by contrast, only grow to about 5-7 inches long and are much darker and pointier than their Norwegian counterparts.
Each of these pests can cause serious damage to your Eustis home. Rats and mice create nests in your home’s foundation, chewing through anything they can to feed their young and build their nests. This includes wood paneling, pipes, and insulation. These pests can also chew through wires, and an infestation could force you to hire a costly electrician if the nest isn’t removed quickly.
How Rodents Spread Disease
Rodents will not only damage your home, but they also bring about a variety of health concerns. No matter the size or species, rats and mice are vectors to diseases such as leptospira, Bartonella, salmonella, hantavirus, and the plague.
These pathogens are spread a few different ways:
- Eating your food. If a rodent can get in your pantry, it will potentially contaminate your entire food supply.
- Urine and feces. Rodents leave their droppings wherever they walk, making your entire property a potential hazard.
- Walking around. Rodents spread disease simply by existing on your property. The longer they remain in your house, the greater the chance of infection.
How To Keep Rodents Out
Now that you know why rodents are a real problem, how do you keep them out? Your best bet is to make your house as unattractive to pests as possible. Rodents are primarily attracted to two things: clutter and food. If your house has a lot of cluttered spaces, including piles of clothes, junk, or trash, rodents might camp out and start their nests there. If they have access to the trash or pantry, there’s even more of an incentive to move in.
Despite these efforts, rodents might still make their way into your Eustis home. Because they access your home through the smallest entryways and reproduce quickly, their population will grow faster than you can eliminate them. DIY methods such as installing traps in high traffic areas may kill some rodents, but they will not tackle the entirety of your problem.
If you find that a rodent has made its nest in your home, don’t try to take matters into your own hands – DIY options often make the problem worse. Reach out to the experts at Pest Ref Services Inc., for rodent control solutions and we’ll make sure to make your rodent problem's a thing of the past.
Just had Benjamin come out and do an initial pest service on our home. I highly recommend his business. He was on time, EXTREMELY thorough with every inch of our home and was professional and so affordable. I’m so glad I ran into him on facebook. If you’re looking to switch services, now is the time!
