No one wants to find a rat or mouse in their home. While these rodents may not be harmful, they can still cause damage to your property. Mice and rats are known to gnaw on wires and insulation, which can lead to fires. They can also contaminate food and spread disease. In addition, if you have young children or pets, rodents can pose a serious health threat. So how do you know you have rodents in your home? Here are three signs that you may be dealing with a rodent infestation: visual indicators, auditory indicators, and sensory signs.
See That? Visual Indicators of Rodents
- Gnaw Marks
Rodents are notorious for gnawing, so look for gnaw marks on food packages, furniture, and even electrical wiring.
- Scratch Marks
Rats and mice will have sharp claws that will leave scratch marks on your floors, furniture, and walls.
- Holes
Rodents will even chew holes through your walls so that they can get to safe locations to nest.
- Nests
Rodents love to build nests out of many different materials, such as paper, magazines, clothes, cardboard, and others. So if you see marks or holes in these items or parts of them missing, you may suspect a rodent has stolen them to build a cozy but unwanted nest!
Hear That? Auditory Indicators of Rodents
- Chewing
As previously mentioned, rodents love to gnaw on items in your home. You might hear this sound as they chew up your wires or favorite sweater!
- Squeaking
Mice and rats make various squeaking noises that you might hear, especially at night. Their squeak is often high-pitched and can be quite loud when they have discovered food.
- Scurrying
Out of all the sounds rodents make, the sound of them scurrying in your walls is the most common, recognizable, and perhaps feared. What? Because it means that rats or mice are setting up residence inside your home!
Smell That? Sensory Signs of Rodents
- Urine
Unfortunately, rodent urine has a powerful unpleasant smell due to its high ammonia content. They may urinate in the walls, which makes it extremely challenging to find and remove.
- Droppings
A rodent’s diet consists mainly of seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Their droppings are small and dry, with a pointed end. They are typically brown or black in color. You may find them in cabinets, under sinks, and near water or food sources.
Rodent droppings can carry diseases that are harmful to humans. If you come into contact with rodent droppings, clean up the area with a disinfectant, and wash your hands immediately with soap and water.
Finding rats or mice where they shouldn’t be in or near your home is a challenging problem, and you don’t have to fix it yourself! Quickly finding a first-rate pest control company is crucial. With these tips, you can discover a stellar service for ridding your home of loathsome intruders. Luckily, the experts at Abarb Pest Services are up for the challenge. So show your unwanted guests the door: call Abarb Pest Services today!
