Menu
When you suddenly see small, furry creatures darting across the living room floor or hear chewing coming from inside your walls, it can be a frightening moment. Of course, you don’t want to share your house with rodents – but what do you do when rats and mice get inside?
This guide will give homeowners all the information they need to deal successfully with their rat or mouse problem, from identifying signs of infestation to preventing future visits.
It is common for households in cities such as Boston to deal with pest issues. Among the pest problems that homeowners most commonly face are rats and mice. Commonly encountered rodent species include:
It is likely that pest control Boston would deal with the issue, especially with wood mice, as they are even more prevalent in homes than the house mouse.
A regular pest control routine can help prevent rodents from taking over living spaces and causing destruction or exposing the household to health risks.
If you notice any of these signs, then you most likely have a mouse or rat infestation in your home.
Noticing droppings in your home is a tell-tale sign of a rat infestation. Rats produce large quantities of dark, pellet-shaped droppings that typically measure up to 14mm in length.
You can find these droppings near the entry points into your home and around harborages, such as wall cracks or small crevices. These places protect rats from predators, so the signs will mainly focus on these areas.
Mouse excrement is much smaller than a rat, with an average length of 6mm– so if you find anything significantly larger than that, you could already start suspecting the presence of rats.
Although the smell of ammonia is the first sign of rats in your home, they are also likely to make plenty of noise.
Rats love to store food and create nests that keep them safe from predators, so they often make a noticeable commotion when rooting through cabinets or moving around insulation within walls.
Additionally, rats and mice must continuously grind down their large incisor teeth by constantly chewing and gnawing on wood and plastics.
One surefire way to tell if you have an infestation is to look for their footprints. Look for small animal prints in dust or dirt when exploring less-trafficked sections of your home, like behind furniture or appliances.
Then, shine a bright torch low along the floor, and any imprints should be visible. If you’re still uncertain whether pests are present, you can sprinkle flour or talcum powder along the ground near footprints to detect new prints at night.
Greasy fur marks caused by rats and house mice are significant signs that these rodents have invaded your home. You will see them along the walls and floors where they typically travel and in high places such as roof joints.
These “loop smears” are where the animal has had to squeeze tightly to fit into tight spaces. It is important to note that it is common for rats and house mice to leave this oily residue as a reminder of their invasion.
If you’ve noticed any strange tooth marks on items in your home, they could be signs of rats or mice. Rats have much stronger jaws than their smaller cousins, so their tooth marks will be larger and more pronounced.
They can even cause severe damage to soft metals like lead and aluminum. So if you spot these marks around your home, it is essential to act quickly because they can cause significant structural harm if left unchecked.
Here are some tips and tricks for getting rid of mice and rats in your home.
Snap traps are highly reliable and provide instant results – upon contact, they kill the rodent instantly, with no mess and no fuss. They attract rodents and safely capture them within a few moments.
Installing these snap traps around your house and inside closets, basements, crawlspaces, and other areas that mice or rats may frequent can save you lots of time and money in the long run – instead of desperately attempting to locate the source of noise in the middle of the night or dealing with other proof of unwelcome guests.
One of the most widely used methods involves using anticoagulant mouse and rat poisons. These types of poisons effectively kill rodents by cutting off their blood supply so that their wounds heal slowly or not at all.
However, proper precaution should be taken with anticoagulant poisons, as they can often be poisonous if mishandled or ingested by children or pets.
If you are considering using this type of poison to get rid of rats and mice in your home, make sure you read up on the subject first to know what needs to be done for safe and successful disposal in your area.
You must ensure your property is sealed up properly. Rats and mice can enter through unprotected gaps and holes. For instance, if the brickwork around windows isn’t hermetically sealed with wire, wool, or cement, then the rodents may be able to squeeze in.
Likewise, old drains often don’t provide enough protection from unwanted visitors, so getting these checked regularly is crucial.
The most effective way of removing rats and mice from your house is by using live traps. That consists of baited cages that allow you to trap the rodents without killing them so they can be set free far away from your property.
Make sure to empty the traps periodically and refresh the bait so that you can capture more furry intruders and eliminate the problem in the long run.
Mice and rats are pesky little creatures that can wreak havoc on your home if you’re not careful. But there are ways to get rid of them! Live traps, anticoagulant poisons, and snap traps are all effective methods for getting rid of these pests. Be safe when using any of these methods, and always consult a professional if you’re unsure about something.
