Rodent Pest Control

Rodent Pest Control in MA – Residential and Commercial Rodent Control for Mice, Rats and other Rodents call 781-893-2146

Waltham Pest Control provides residential and commercial rodent pest control services throughout Greater Boston Massachusetts. If you have or think you might have a rodent problem, then don’t delay and call Waltham Pest Control today to have our pest control technician inspect your home or business and provide you with a rodent treatment estimate.

About Rodents

There are more than 2,200 species of rodents in the world today. Their success is probably due to their short breeding cycle, small size and ability to gnaw and eat a wide variety of foods. Their instincts make them difficult to control, and they present a serious menace to society. Rodents are very harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. For now, let’s focus on talking about two rodents that can affect you and your home; house mice and roof rats.

Rodent Identification

The House Mouse is typically gray but the color can vary. Their body is about 3” – 4” long with their tail being of equal length. Their muzzle is pointy, their ears are large and their eyes are small and round. House mice prefer to nest in dark, quiet places, so they can go undetected and undisturbed. An area with nesting material such as paper, cotton, insulation, fabric is ideal. They are capable of entering a home through an opening as small as ¼”. They are nibblers, and will chew on just about any type of material. The best way to know if you have been infested with mice is to look for their small black, rice like, feces. You can also look for items that have been gnawed at or areas where nesting has occurred. Sexual maturity is reached in only 5-8 weeks. Female mice reproduce up to 8 times in their lifespan and can produce litters ranging from 4-7 pups. Therefore, a single female house mouse can produce up to 56 offspring annually. That spells trouble for you the homeowner.

The Roof Rat is about 6” – 8” from their head to the rear end of the body, not including the tail. Their tail is an additional 7” – 10”. They are gray to black, with their belly being white, gray, or black. They have large eyes and ears and a scaly tail. Roof Rats are nocturnal and have poor vision, but a very good sense of smell, taste, hearing and touch. Roof rats are so named, because they prefer nesting in upper structures, such as attics. They also like spending time in and on house rooftops. They can enter structures through opening as small as ½”. Roof Rats are associated with the transmission of several diseases and pose a huge health problem. They prefer such foods as fruits, vegetables and cereals although they will eat almost anything if necessary. Roof Rats reach sexual maturity at about 2 to 5 month of age. The female averages 4 to 6 litters per year, with an average of 7 young per litter so a single female house mouse can produce up to 42 offspring annually. That spells trouble for you the homeowner.

Rodent Treatment and Control

Prevention methods should always be practiced in order to maintain a rodent-free home. Keep possible food sources away from rodents. Small crumbs and garbage are popular sources of food for rodents. Waste from fruits and vegetables should disposed of properly and never left in sinks or on counters. Cardboard items are attractive to rodents because they tend to chew them up for use in their nests.

Traps and baits are effective however, they are extremely toxic to humans and pets. There are many different types of traps so find one that best suits your needs. Repellents may also be used to deter rodent populations. Both natural and chemical-based repellents are commercially available and are also effective. The smells of some plants, such as eucalyptus, wormwood and mint, can deter rodents. Repellent dusts produced by manufacturers work in much the same way.

Sound-based repellents are also very effective at keeping rodents from infesting your home. They emit sound at a frequency that too high for humans to recognize but very disturbing for rodents. The down side of this method is that the sound-based repellents also bother house pets. Although all of these methods work to varying degrees, working with a professional exterminator is often your best long term solution.

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