Rodents can cause a lot of damage to a home. The sooner you recognize you may have a rodent infestation, the faster you can have your pest control technician out to investigate and eliminate the infestation before the damage is too extensive. Here are 10 telltale signs you may have rodent problem in your home:
1. You’ve seen one. Rodents are most active at night. If you have visited the kitchen for a midnight snack and noticed something fast and furry darting for cover when you flipped on the light, you may have a rodent problem.
2. You’ve heard them. Particularly at night, sounds of scratching, gnawing, squealing, and clawing in or near walls or cabinets indicate rodents may be present.
3. You can smell them. Rodent infestations can create a distinct musky smell-partially from urine and from scent trails they make using the greasy residue on their fur and urine-dribbles as they find pathways they like from place to place in your home.
4. Your pets have become obsessed with a particular spot in the home. Household pets like cats and dogs (especially cats) can easily pinpoint entry points rodents use as a doorway into your home and will watch the area obsessively, waiting for rodents to appear. Take note of these spots and show them to your pest control technician.
5. You develop unusual or increased allergy symptoms. Many people are allergic to the droppings, dander, and fur of rodents. If you or members of your family have new onset of allergies or unexplained worsening of allergy symptoms, this could be an early warning sign of a rodent infestation.
6. You find holes in walls or baseboards. Holes in walls and baseboards are often entry points gnawed by rodents to gain access to your home.
7. Someone has been nibbling boxes in your pantry. If you find holes and openings gnawed into boxes and packages of food in your pantry or in bags of pet food, you’ve found evidence of rodent activity.
8. You uncover evidence of nesting materials. Rodents are nest builders and like to include warm and cozy materials in their nests, including pieces of fabric, shredded paper, clumps of grass, wilted or dead plants, stuffing from furniture or pillows, and even pieces of cardboard packages.
9. You find rodent droppings. Rodents produce a lot of droppings as they go about their favorite activities. Droppings can be found under sinks, in cabinets and drawers, in pantries, near gnawed food packages, and depending on the type of flooring you have, droppings can be found in grooves of flooring.
10. You have sudden problems with faulty wiring, If lights and switches that previously worked fine suddenly become faulty and troublesome, you may have rodents chewing on wiring inside the walls-particularly in the kitchen where rodents are most likely to hang out for easy access to food.
A rodent problem is a serious risk to the stability and safety of your home. If you notice any of these 10 signs of a rodent infestation, call your pest control experts at The Pest Force. We’ll inspect your home, inside and out, and pinpoint areas of concern and verify whether or not you have a rodent problem and how we can help fix it.