What Damage Can Rodents Inflict On Your Home?
Rodents: How They Invade and Attack
What would you do if you saw a rat crawling around the kitchen of your favorite restaurant? Disgusted, right?
What you probably don’t know is that many houses (especially older ones) are home to rodents without their owner even knowing. Whether these pests are hiding in your basement, attic, pantry, or even inside of your walls, the first step to solving your rodent problem is by knowing how these creatures get in, and the damage that you’ll see if they are living in your residence.
Invasion
One of the downsides of buying an older house is all the cracks and holes that are found along the foundation of the building and the small gaps in the windows and ceilings. Although they may look small, pests like mice are prone to get in. Often, rodents enter during the fall or winter time when food is becoming more scarce in their natural environments and the temperature is plummeting. Once they enter, they proliferate exponentially to host a huge population in just a matter of weeks.
The best way to prevent this unwanted invasion is by keeping track of all the openings in your house and filling cracks and gaps with metal or concrete that will block these rodents from entering in the first place. In the meanwhile, store all your food in airtight containers so that they don’t attract these creatures. A few simple steps can stop many problems before they even start.
Attack
Once a rodent gets into your home, the damage that it can cause can be enormous. The first thing that you would probably notice would be the mouse droppings, little black pieces that look almost like raisins. If you do find any, get some gloves and antiseptic spray to dispose of them and call pest control right away. Odd noises is another clue that rats are scurrying around in the walls and floorboards. However, the worst part of a rodent is it’s teeth. Rodents will gnaw on almost anything. Apart from having strange scratches and nicks all over your household belongings, rats can also chew on electric wires to cause a fire or other hazardous materials.
It’s really important to know the signs of a rodent invasion before your whole house becomes a mess of droppings and chewed belongings. Most of the time, mousetraps and rat poison aren’t enough. Don’t delay to call rodent experts like us to take care of these critters before they infest your house.
The Difference Between Fleas and Ticks
As it gets warmer, fleas and ticks might show up. These pesky parasites can cause problems for pets and humans alike. Although they might be small, they can cause a lot of damage that can be prevented if proper steps are taken.
Even though this is the case, fleas and ticks are commonly mixed up and although they have many similarities, let’s point out some differences.
Appearance and Activity
As you may have noticed, both fleas and ticks are extremely small. While a flea may be the size of a pinhead, a tick is usually a little bigger.
Flea Up Close
- Fleas
Fleas love to jump around and contrary to the common notion that they can fly, fleas actually just stay on one host for their small lifespan of around 100 days. But don’t be relieved yet… During this time, the flea can have thousands of offspring which can be a headache for you to deal with.
Ticks Before and After Feeding
- Ticks
On the other hand, ticks are actually related to spiders (arachnids) and consume blood by digging/burrowing into the skin which is also difficult to find. “Tick” is really a term for many different small arachnids who are parasites. They can live from 3 weeks to up to 3 years, moving from host to host while having offspring.
Danger
Apart from creating a small rash on your pets (or you), these creatures can carry some deadly diseases. Fleas can carry many types of bacteria, including one that transmits the plague! Ticks meanwhile carry diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can cause neurological damage in severe cases. But don’t be too worried, if you take a few precautions, nothing bad will happen!
Precautions
The best way to keep these parasites away are usually by using natural sprays that stop these bugs from showing up in the first place. Flea lotions, creams, collars, and other products are available for pets (and you when outdoors) to disinterested fleas. If you or your pet do get infected, go to a doctor for medicine. Ticks are treated the same way, but if you are bitten by a tick, use a credit card or other flat object to pull it away. Using tweezers can squeeze harmful fluids into your body. Talk to a doctor afterwards.
These pests don’t usually show up in residential areas so removal usually isn’t an issue.
Fleas and ticks are pesky parasites that cause disease and discomfort. Hopefully though, you can distinguish between the two and tackle any of the problems that you may face. Call Watchdog Pest Control immediately to prevent them from multiplying and further harming your family and your pets.
How to Naturally Deter Bark Scorpions
The most venomous scorpion in North America, the Bark Scorpion sting can cause severe pain, numbness, tingling and convulsions lasting between 24 and 72 hours. Tens of thousands of people are stung across the country each year, many in their homes. A large proportion of these stings could have been prevented by people undertaking simples steps to deter the bark scorpion from their homes. So here we explain what you can do to deter these common household pests from your home.
Seal Your Property
Sealing the cracks and holes in the foundations, walls and baseboards is an excellent way to prevent scorpions entering your home. These critters can squeeze through a gap as thin as a credit card! Be sure to close windows tightly so there are no gaps for an invader to climb in and invest in door seals to prevent an entry route.
Remove Potential Scorpion Shelters
The predominantly nocturnal scorpion will seek shelter during the day, becoming active at night. Removing structures that scorpions may use as a daytime hiding place will prevent the creature from hanging around both inside and outside the home. Store cardboard boxes on cupboard shelves and keep storage and wardrobes neat and tidy. Outside, ensure hedges and plants are trimmed so there are no places to hide and don’t leave garbage hanging around.
Lavender or Citrus
Both Lavender and Citrus naturally deters scorpions. Plant lavender around the perimeter of your home and use lavender scented cleaning products. The same principles apply to citrus products, a pot with some citrus plants near entrances to your home will deter the arachnid invaders.
Balance the Insects
Bark Scorpions feed on insects around the home so be sure to kill and remove ants, cicadas, crickets and cockroaches quickly. However, leaving spiders around the home will help! Spiders will kill scorpions in the vicinity.
Bird Prevention Tips For Private Properties
Birds are beautiful creatures. They perfectly symbolize freedom. They can fly anywhere they wish and nest on places they find ideal for them. While they’re certainly beautiful to look at, they are sometimes considered nuisance pests. Because the sky above your home is beyond your control, it is best for you to learn more about bird prevention tips so you can effectively keep them away.
In Phoenix, Arizona, many homeowners consider birds as pests. Their droppings can be very difficult to clean and can also cause serious damage to property. Bird droppings are very acidic. When these aren’t removed or cleaned up immediately, they can easily damage wood, metal, plastic, vinyl, paint, and other commonly used materials around your household. These droppings can cause pricey damage to roofs, cars, and other belongings.
Aside from the stress and damage to property they bring, these birds can also cause serious health risks. For instance, pigeons, which are very common in Phoenix, can transmit a number of diseases. Smaller birds can take with them an infestation of ticks, mites, and fleas. Furthermore, their droppings can be a source of viruses and other diseases.
As always, prevention is better than cure. Even before birds start becoming pests in your property, it’s best to prevent them from being around your own private space in the first place. Here are some tips you can keep in mind:
- Do a regular spot check on your entire property for possible bird nests.
Birds will come back again and again when they have already built their nest in your property. These nests aren’t only found in trees; they can also be found in chimneys, vents, roof drains, and others. When you check on your property, make sure you remove these nests as well.
- Don’t leave possible food sources lying around.
Depending on their species, birds may eat fruits, worms, bird feed, grains, seeds, and many more. It is best for you to make sure they have nothing to feed on in your property. Of course, you can’t possibly pick up all the worms in your garden or eliminate all of your fruit trees, if you have any. At least you should avoid leaving grains and seeds lying around by making sure your property is always clean and well-maintained.
- Consider using bird repellent sprays.
There are some bird repellent sprays and chemicals that may be applied on to your roof, porch, and other areas around your home where you frequently find birds resting. You may consider using these to keep many of these bird species out.
- Bird spikes may also be installed across your property.
Some would think it’s inhumane to install bird spikes in houses. However, birds don’t actually get killed by these spikes. They can go ahead and rest elsewhere, but not on those spikes in your property. Truth be told, when all else fails, bird spikes might just be your next best option to keep birds out.
Birds are difficult to control since they are free to fly anywhere they wish. In fact, many of their species are even protected by law. When dealing with a serious bird problem and your own DIY bird prevention methods simply didn’t work, it is time to call on the experts. Watchdog Pest Control is a top pest control contractor in the Phoenix, Arizona area. We can help you out. Give us a call at 602-842-5290 for an appointment.
