Rodent control in Dallas is never an easy task, but our wild weather can often drive rodents like rats and mice indoors as they try to escape droughts, floods, cold snaps, heat waves, and the many other weather events that roll through the Lone Star State. Learn more about these pests and how to keep them away with the help of Addison Pest.
Rodent Behavior Insights: Navigating The Habits Of Mice And Rats
Native Texas rodents are better equipped to handle the wild weather that happens in the Dallas area throughout the year. However, many of the rats and mice that infest Dallas homes are not native to our area and therefore are often more dependent on human habitation to survive.
That means rats and mice are often highly motivated to live inside our homes, and they are very good at getting away with it, too. Not only are they nocturnal, which means they're most active while we're sleeping, but they also are clever enough to avoid being seen almost all the time. This means rodents can live in your house for a long, long time before you catch on.
You'll have to look for other signs of their presence, such as:
- Scurrying sounds inside walls
- Gnawing damage around your home
- Shredded insulation or nests in insulation
- Damage to food packaging
- Rodent feces
If you start seeing these signs, you need to act fast to protect yourself, your family, and your pets.
Health Risks Of Rodent Invasions: Protecting Your Family And Pets
All rodents have the potential to spread disease, but rats and mice are the worst offenders because they carry the most pathogens and come into the closest contact with people and pets. Not only do rats and mice spread many bacterial and viral illnesses that can infect both humans and other animals, but they also serve as vectors for secondary infestations of external parasites that can spread their own diseases.
Rodents often bring fleas and ticks with them when they come into your home, and when these external parasites drop off of their rodent hosts, they can infect your pets and even establish breeding populations on your property. This can expose you to flea and tick-borne diseases, as well.
Proactive Rodent Control: Preventing Infestations Before They Begin
It's a whole lot harder to get rid of rodents than it is to keep them out of your house in the first place. Eliminating a rodent infestation often takes serious investments of time and money, but all you have to do to prevent future rodent infestations from establishing themselves is make a few small lifestyle changes. Take measures like:
- Store pantry foods, including pet foods, in airtight, hard-shell containers.
- Keep all indoor and outdoor garbage cans tightly covered at all times.
- Never leave pet foods or bowls sitting out.
- Cover all construction gaps with wire mesh.
Taking these rodent control measures can help protect you from ever having to deal with an infestation, but sometimes, even these aren't enough to stop determined rodents.
Professional Rodent Control: The Best Way To Keep Mice And Rats Away
If you wind up getting a rodent infestation despite your best efforts, don't attempt to deal with it on your own. Most rodent control products that you can buy at the store are ineffective and can even be dangerous to pets and small children. That's why you should call the professionals right away as soon as you suspect you have a rodent problem.
Here at Addison Pest, we offer the best Dallas rodent control services you can get. You don't have to spend another day living with these four-legged freeloaders — not with our trained rodent experts on your side! So click or call today.