October 18-24th, 2020 is Rodent Awareness Week. Here’s what you should know about rodents in your Massachusetts home.
Several months ago, we all began adjusting our lifestyles to accommodate coronavirus precautions and quarantine, including closing storefronts or limiting operations. This has made 2020 a particularly challenging year not only for humans, but rodents as well. The closure of businesses, particularly restaurants, has severely limited food sources for mice and rats, forcing them to expand their territories in search of sustenance.
As weather cools and rodents make their way toward homes for shelter and food, here are some things you should know.
Rodent Realities—Facts About Mice & Rats
- Rodents don’t need much space to gain access to your home—Rats only need an opening the size of a quarter; a dime for mice.
- Mice and rats can and will invade even the cleanest homes. While rodents are likely to be found in unsanitary conditions, they will not refuse your clean, cozy house.
- Rodent teeth never stop growing—that’s why they never stop chewing!
- A female mouse can have up to 15 litters in one year, and can become pregnant again just 24 hours after giving birth!
Signs of an Infestation
- Droppings
- Gnawing/chewing marks
- Rub marks (dark smudges left behind on a rodent’s usual travel route)
- Urine stains or odor
- Tears and holes in fabric, boxes, insulation, other material
- Scratching, chewing, crawling sounds, particularly at night
Hazards to Humans
- Rodents can spread more than 30 diseases to humans, including salmonella, hantavirus, rat bite fever, plague, and even Lyme disease
- Presence of rodents can exacerbate allergies and asthma
- Rodent infestation can cause structural damage, contaminate insulation, and/or result in electrical damage
Keep your home rodent-free all year long with a Pad Protection Plan from Burgess Pest Management – if mice and rats have already made their mark, check out our Home Sealer & Sanitizer Service and insulation cleanouts. Whatever your situation, we are here to improve the health of your home and keep rodents outside where they belong.
