You’re not alone in wanting to be cozy inside during the winter months. Rodents want to escape the cold, too. Acting now can prevent these unwelcome residents.
Rats and mice think they’ve won the lottery when they get to live in your property and eat on the crumbs left behind. Having one of these rodents scurry across the room during your holiday party is embarrassing, but their impact is far deeper.
At Red Coat, our pest control experts can help keep the rodents outside your Atlanta-area home or business.
Common Rodents in Georgia
There are more than 70 species of mice and rats in North America. Fortunately, we do not have to deal with all 70 in this state.
We have three common mice and rats in our area:
- Roof Rat: The brown roof rat got its name due to its tendency to shelter in a structure’s roof. Also called black rats or ship rats, they are slender with long tails and small features. They prefer a diet of fruits and nuts, but they will eat anything when they are hungry. Roof rats can measure up to 8 inches from the head to the body and another 10 inches in the tail, making a total of 18 inches.
- Norway Rat: Despite its name, this brown rodent is believed to have originated in Asia. They are colorblind with poor vision, relying on their other senses. This rodent is larger than the roof rat in head and body, but its tail is not as long. They have small ears and eyes. They typically live in burrows and will eat anything, although they prefer the taste of protein.
- House Mouse: A small dusty-gray rodent with cream-colored bellies, a house mouse will not travel far from the home to find food. They prefer a diet of grains. Its body is round, and its ears are large. The body and tail each get to about 4 inches in length.
Rodent populations seek shelter more readily in the winter, but your home offers wonderful refuge year-round. Your walls and air ducts offer predator-free living and comforting darkness. They do not require big openings to make their way inside. An adolescent mouse can squeeze through a hole as small as the circumference of a pen.
One Mouse Can Mean Many More
Seeing one rodent in or around your home means there are likely others. This is particularly true if you see the rat during the day. Mice and rats are typically nocturnal. When you see a mouse during daylight hours, its nest is likely overcrowded. You could have a full-blown infestation.
Call on Red Coat to evaluate your home if you see a rat. You may have multiple rats even if you do not hear scratching in the walls or see rat droppings (they look like black or brown rice).
Rodents Reproduce Quickly
Mice can have multiple litters a year. They can reproduce every 20 days with an average of 6 mice in every litter. Left unchecked, that is a lot of mice! Breeding peaks in the fall, but they can have babies any time of the year. They do not hibernate like a bear does in the winter. Rats and mice outside are less likely to breed during the winter.
The rodents in your home take advantage of that warmth and security to continue having babies. Call our pest control professionals now to ensure your home does not become a rat-baby nursery!
Rats & Mice Carry Harmful Diseases
When a mouse comes inside your home, they never come alone. They bring ticks, fleas, and worms with them.
Mice and rats also spread disease. One particular disease – Monkeypox – is on the national radar. Flu-like symptoms followed by a blistering and scabbing rash are hallmarks of this virus. The rash is typically painful and/or itchy.
In addition to monkeypox, rodent urine and droppings carry a host of unwanted diseases:
- Hantavirus
- Lassa Fever
- Leptospirosis
- Lujo Hemorrhagic Fever
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
- Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
- Rat-Bite Fever
- Salmonellosis
They also bring ticks, fleas, and worms into your home.
Rodent Damage to Your Property
They will eat nearly anything, including drywall, wiring, rubber, fabric, and insulation. The destruction can lead to structural issues, weather-proofing loss, power shorts, and fires. Furniture and paper products can be ruined. They will even eat through the seats of your car.
Call Red Coat to Neutralize Your Rodent Problem
Let Red Coat help you put up the “No Vacancy” sign for the rodents trying to enter your home. Our team of pest control experts will always go the extra mile for a great customer experience. Our attention to detail, integrity, and professionalism are unparalleled.
Removing and Preventing Rats in Your Property
Removing rodents is only one part of an effective pest control strategy. The second part is to prevent any from entering. At Red Coat, our team inspects your property to find the access points, individual rodents, and nests inside. Based on our evaluation, we will create a customized treatment plan to get rid of the rodents you have and prevent new rats and mice from using your property as their own.
Rodent plans typically include the following:
- Identifying and closing access points used by the rodents
- Using a combination of bait stations, live traps, and servicing them monthly
- Inspecting regularly to determine whether new access points need to be addressed or other follow-up measures are needed
DIY rodent control is usually unsuccessful in the long run. Rats and mice will avoid anything with the human scent. Even if you do catch a mouse or two, the root of the problem is not solved. In addition, over-the-counter traps and baits often catch living creatures you did not intend to harm, like chipmunks or squirrels.
Controlling rodents in and around your property will help you sleep much easier at night.
Contact our rat-control experts at Red Coat. You can get started by sending us an online message or calling (404) 724-8999.