Keeping Your Family Safe from Rodents

At best, rodents are a real nuisance to have around, and if they manage to get into your home, they can be outright dangerous for both adults and children. Mice and rats can spread several different diseases, and it doesn’t take much to expose you or your family to them.

Hantavirus: Hantavirus includes a group of viruses that are most commonly transmitted through rodent droppings and urine. It can progress to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in time, which unfortunately can be deadly.

LCM: Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis is an infectious disease commonly carried by common house mice, and is transmitted through droppings, urine, or the bite of an infected rodent. This disease begins with flu-like symptoms and can progress to temporary or even permanent neurological damage. This infection can also spread to pets such as hamsters if they are exposed.

Salmonellosis: A bacterial infection that can cause illness in both humans and pets, spread through feces-contaminated food or water.

So if you don’t want any of that around you or your kids, listen to what Terminix Michigan says; here are some things you can do to discourage rodents from seeking refuge in your home. Prevention is the first line of defense!

• Make sure to store food in airtight containers:
  This is the very first thing to consider. If the rodents can’t see or smell any food, they’re less likely to bother coming in. Avoid thin bags and cartons that can be chewed through, and keep those containers off the floor. Don’t keep food waste or other refuse in plain sight; keep them in sealed cans, stored away.
• Keep up with the housework: Surfaces covered with crumbs, dirty containers or leftover pet food are a calling card for rodents. Clean up regularly, and encourage your children to do the same.
• Lock it up: Aside from leaving food out, an open door is the simplest of mistakes, but one that can be very inviting for rodents, especially in the colder months when they seek warm refuge. Install bristle strips and patch up any holes in doors and gates, and keep them closed! Once again, let your children know why it’s important to keep the house secure.
• Give them nowhere to hide: Trim back bushes, shrubs and trees that come near the house. Rodents will take any route they can find, and they’re excellent climbers. Giving them fewer options for hiding and/or climbing makes things harder for them.
• Plug the gaps: Look for any potential openings, holes around where pipes and cables enter, vents, loose roof shingles, and even chimneys. You can plug any holes with a number of different materials, depending on where the hole is. Chimneys should be capped, and any open vents screened with wire mesh or vent covers. Find out more about preventing rats from getting into your home through these holes at atticnoises.com. 
• Last resort: If prevention hasn’t worked and you believe you have an infestation, leave traps around the house near any suspected locations. Keep any toxic pest control substances well away from children.

Lastly, if all else fails, call a professional to eliminate the problem for you. Nobody wants rodents in their home, and the numbers can get out of control very quickly. Find professionals near you here at rat-control.com.  Be vigilant!