S & W Pest Management Inc : Pest of the Month

Pest of the Month:

October

The weather is turning colder, the leaves are falling and the fruits from the long summer’s labor are being harvested. This can mean only one thing...

Rodent Season is upon us.

Rodents are notorious for spreading disease. Rats and mice are responsible for the spread of over 35 illnesses, either directly, through contamination of human food with their urine or feces, or indirectly, by way of rodent fleas and mites. Some of these diseases include Rat-bite Fever, Leptospirosis (Weil's Disease), Salmonellosis (Salmonella Food Poisoning), Rickettsialpox, Plague, Murine Typhus Fever and Hantavirus. But rodents are important also because they can cause havoc in a home through food contamination, structural determination and fires caused by chewing through insulation on electrical wires.

Rodents damage food, clothing, documents and structures through gnawing, urination defecation and nesting activities. The damage to food from contamination is probably ten times greater than the damage by direct feeding. Feces and urine raise the humidity of enclosed spaces and promote wood deterioration and provide a medium for the proliferation of microorganisms.

What rodents are the most common threat to a home or business?

How can I tell if I have a rodent infestation?

What do I do if I suspect a rodent infestation?

Who do I call to have my home inspected?

Common Invaders:

House Mice
Mus domesticus
Color: Light brown to black
Legs: Four
Shape: Round
Size: 2"
Antennae: No
Flight: No

The house mouse is the most common rodent pest in most parts of the world. It can adapt quickly to changing conditions and can breed rapidly, breeding throughout the year and sharing nests.

House mice live in structures, but they do also live outdoors. Most mice come indoors in the fall. But it's not because of cooler weather, the seeds and plants on which they feed outside are gone. That means they must seek out new food sources, sometimes it's your home. The presence of mice can be detected by droppings or evidence of fresh gnawing. Tracks can be seen in mud and on dusty surfaces. Runways and burrows may be found next to buildings, along fences or railroad tracks, and under low vegetation and debris.

Mice are excellent climbers and are capable of gaining entry through even the smallest holes, most garage doors allow just enough space for mice to fit underneath.

Mice can contaminate food-preparation surfaces with their feces, which can contain the salmonellosis bacterium that causes food poisoning. Micro droplets of mouse urine can cause allergies in children and nice can bring fleas, mites, ticks and lice into your home. Their constant gnawing can even cause damage to structures and property.

Norway Rats
Rattus norvegicus
Color: Gray, brown or black
Legs: Four
Shape: Long
Size: 10" to 12" long with tail
Antennae: No
Flight: No

The Norway rat also called "the brown rat" or "sewer rat" is a destructive pest found in both urban and suburban neighborhoods.

These rats live in structures, but they do also live outdoors. Most rats come indoors during the fall. But it's not because of cooler weather, it's because the seeds and plants on which they feed outside are gone. That means they must seek out new food sources, sometimes it's your home. The presence of rats can be detected by droppings or evidence of fresh gnawing. Tracks can be seen in mud and on dusty surfaces. Runways and burrows may be found next to buildings, along fences or railroad tracks, and under low vegetation and debris.

Rats are excellent climbers and are capable of gaining entry through even the smallest holes, most garage doors allow just enough space for mice to fit underneath.

Rats can contaminate food-preparation surfaces with their feces, which can contain the salmonellosis bacterium that causes food poisoning. Micro droplets of rat urine can cause allergies in children and nice can bring fleas, mites, ticks and lice into your home. Their constant gnawing can even cause damage to structures and property.

Deer Mice
Peromyscus maniculatus
Color: Brown, with white feet and underbelly
Legs: Four
Shape: Round
Size: 2" - 6" long
Antennae: No
Flight: No

The deer mouse rarely invades homes and is found in more rural areas. The deer mouse makes its home outdoors in sheltered areas such as hollow tree logs or piles of debris. It does not commonly invade homes, but in rare instances the deer mouse comes indoors, it prefers undisturbed areas such as attics.

This pest, though it doesn't usually come into homes, is important because they are known to transmit the potentially fatal Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Cases of Hantavirus are rare. Only about 300 to 400 cases have been documented in the past nine years.

If you would like more information about Hantvirus, please visit the CDC website.

Vole
Microtus spp
Color: Dark brown to greyish brown
Legs: Four
Shape: Round
Size: 5" - 7" with a shorter tail
Antennae: No
Flight: No

Voles are also known as "meadow mice", "orchard mice" or "field mice". They are poor climbers and are usually found in the lower levels of buildings. Voles establish runways that usually tunnel beneath vegetation or in the ground just below the surface. Voles also are known to strip the trunks of fruit trees which often results in the death of the tree.

Widely spread across the country, voles primarily live outdoors, preferring dense grassy areas such as meadows or fields. For that reason, homes and buildings these rodents might infest tend to be near such fields. Voles can also be found nesting in stables or barns.

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Common Signs of Invasion:

Here are some signs of rodent invasion:

Droppings in undisturbed areas of the home -- storage places, attics, garages, under baseboards and along walls. Mouse droppings are black and one-quarter inch long. Rat droppings are about three-quarters of an inch.
Signs of gnawing on packaged goods and cardboard boxes and around pipes, ducts and vents.
Scampering or gnawing sounds late at night from the attic, basement, behind walls or other undisturbed areas of the home.
Burrows or nests along the sides of your house.

About 21 million U.S. homes are invaded by mice each year. They are nocturnal animals that live in groups and rarely come out in the daytime unless their environment is disturbed by weather or they are hungry.

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If You Suspect an Infestation:

If you see one, there could be 20 to 50 nearby. That's because they reproduce like rabbits. Mice reach sexual maturity just two or three months after birth and can reproduce every four to six weeks. A single pair of mice can produce thousands of offspring in a year's time.

Because of this, it is very important to prevent an invasion in the first place.

Make sure all holes and cracks larger around than a quarter are sealed.
Store fire wood away from your home and remove piles of lumber or other decaying wood that could serve as a nesting site.
Store garbage in sealed plastic bags away from the home in cans.
Eliminate sources of moisture such as leaky faucets, plumbing, and free-standing water. Also, make sure that your sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation of your home or business.
Do not allow piles of leaves to accumulate next to the home's foundation, it can serve as hiding places for rodents as well as termites and ants.
Install weather strip on the bottom of all doors to prevent entry.
Traps and baits should be put in low-traffic areas such as basements, garages and attics. Once they consume the bait, mice will leave the area to die. If you have pets such as dogs, cats or animals attracted to mice, it's recommended that you use a snap trap or sticky traps rather than poison baits so as not to threaten the health of your pets.
Set the traps in dark corners -- behind the stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer. In fact, put the bait in as many places as possible without endangering children and pets.
Check the trap frequently and dispose of carcasses in sealed plastic.
Put traps in high-traffic areas. If mice aren't caught in four or five days, move the traps. Peanut butter, cheese and sticky candy bars such as Milky Way are effective baits for mousetraps.

Because these animals can cause structural damage and disease, it is recommended that you call a Pest Management Professional to inspect your home or business to evaluate the level of infestation and advise you on how best to rid your property of the rodents.

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Who do I call to have my home inspected?
Just call S & W Pest Management at 1-877-989-BUGS to set up an appointment or fill out the online appointment form. We'll be happy to come inspect your home for termites and other pests and give you advice about the best way to fix the problem.

We hope this guide is helpful to you, our valued customer.

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