Small Rodent Risks
Small rodents like rats, mice, or voles are surprisingly common and hardy in the Nevada desert. They can cause significant property damage, create foul smells, and spread infectious diseases as they shelter on your property. Gophers come with the added risk of damaging yards, gardens, landscaping, and even underground utilities.
If you have these pests or are trying to keep them out of your house, you should take a couple minutes to learn more information about the risks of rats and mice, or why gophers can create property hazards.
Rodent Signs
Aside from spotting pest rodents on your property, there are easy ways to find evidence of them. Pest rodents like to tear paper products, cardboard, loose items, or trash as they forage for food. If you notice tiny piles of torn items on your property, that usually is an early warning sign of a rodent infestation.
Additionally, look for unexpected foul odors. Mice and rats often leave behind a smell like ammonia, vinegar, or urine. You most likely have rodents if you notice an unusual smell and shredded objects.
Rodent Habitats and Hiding Places
Mice, rats, and voles like to seek out small, dark places near a convenient food or water source. They like habitats that make for natural hiding places.
During the summer, rodents seek shelter away from the scorching desert sun. In winter, rodents look for warm areas. They are attracted to areas with loads of clutter and find shelter in storage bins, boxes, spare bedding, stored clothing, basement and attic spaces, holes in walls, and other rarely used areas.
Easy Preventative Actions
Since rats are attracted to household clutter and messes, the simplest and easiest way to stop them from being attracted to your home is to maintain a neat, organized house. Securely store laundry and rarely-used items in plastic storage containers that can be securely closed and sealed.
Avoid using cardboard boxes for long-term storage. Mice, rats, and voles can claw chew through cardboard and will be happy to make a nest inside out of the contents of the box.
Store opened food in securely closed food storage containers inside sealed refrigerators, cabinets, or tightly closed pantries. All rodents have strong senses of smell, and can detect food easily. By denying them the food sources they want, they will usually leave on their own.
Hiring a home service or pest control company to look for and fill any holes or cracks inside and outside your roof, eaves, and exterior walls will deny rodents access to your house and will force them to stay outside. We are able and willing to offer these services.
How to Get Rid of Rodents
Many people set up traps to rid their homes of pest rodents. There are numerous rat and mouse traps on the market, both toxic and nontoxic. If you use toxic mouse traps, you should be careful. In addition to creating potential hazards for pets and small children, rats, mice, and voles have a strong sense of smell and can detect unexpected chemicals and contaminated substances. They will most likely notice the contamination and reject the poisoned substance.
While many DIY solutions are available, rodents are smart enough that few solutions are likely achieve extermination. We have seen customers try numerous unsuccessful attempts before calling us to take care of their pest control needs to rid their property of rodents.
Contact a Rodent Control Service – Reno Pest Control Pros
Now that you know how to identify signs of rodent infestations and spot their hiding places, you now know how to take proper preventative measures. Once we help you get rid of mice and rats, we will help you keep your property rat and mice-free. If you have a rodent infestation in your home, call the best rodent control service in Reno, Reno Pest Control Pros. To request more information or get a free quote on how Reno Pest Control Pros can help you keep pests out of your beautiful home, contact us today!