No matter how friendly and accommodating, everyone has something or someone they don't want around them. Some personality types clash and some people have an aversion to some environments or animals. One animal that no one wants on their property is a rodent. Rodents may appear cute to some people but instinctively everyone knows they are dangerous and damaging to Rhode Island homes.
If you see rodents around your property or suspect they are inside the house, you need pest control in Rhode Island from Big Blue Bug Solutions. Founded in 1935, our family-owned and operated company has grown from humble beginnings to one of the largest New England pest control companies. While the 58-foot termite replica perked atop our Providence Headquarters is a Rhode Island landmark, our quality customer service, numerous awards, and thousands of satisfied customers are our claim to fame.
Our 80 years of pest control experience have taught us that, not only are insects and arachnids problematic, but rodents cause distress for homeowners in Rhode Island. You probably found this article because you are looking for rodent control near you and found us. Therefore, we want to help you by providing information that will help you determine the best way to remove rodents from your home, so please keep reading to learn more.
Common Rodent Species: Identifying Different Types Of Rodents
Rodents are warm-blooded mammals with fur. While this blanket description covers animals from bats to cats, the rodent category belongs to mammals with a pair of upper and lower incisor teeth. These teeth grow constantly requiring the rodent to gnaw on available objects to keep them trim. While maintaining a comfortable length is necessary for the animal's survival, the chewing keeps their long incisor teeth razor sharp allowing them to grind through roots, nuts, and small trees.
Beavers, squirrels, voles, chipmunks, and groundhogs are rodents, but rodents that affect most Rhode Island homeowners are rats and mice. Rats and mice rodents are commensal animals, which means they are comfortable living in the same space as humans and sometimes depend upon humans for survival. Since effective rodent control methods are different for rats and mice than other rodents, we will focus on them in this article.
There are over 50 rat species worldwide; fortunately, only two species, Norway and roof rats, are problematic for Rhode Island homeowners. Norway rats, known as street or sewer rats, have a brown 7 to 9 1/2-inch body interspersed with black hairs on the topside and a grey or white belly. These round-bodied rats have a blunt muzzle, small eyes, ears, and a tail slightly shorter than the same length of their body. Norway rats infest the lower levels of houses nesting in the basement, crawlspace, and first floors where they burrow underneath undisturbed debris.
As the name suggests, roof rats invade the upper levels of houses, primarily the attic. Roof rats have slightly shorter bodies (6 to 8 inches) and noticeably longer tails measuring 7 to 10 inches than Norway rats. Large ears, eyes, a grey, black or white belly, and a slender body are additional features distinguishing them from Norway rats.
Mice are the other rodent species that infests many Rhode Island homes. Of the 70 North American species, house mice are the most common invaders of houses. House mice have a dusty grey 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inch round body (not including the tail) with a cream-colored belly. Unlike the blunt muzzle of Norway rats, house mice have a pointed muzzle and large ears.
House mice create infestations in Rhode Island homes due to their ability to breed rapidly and adapt to the environment. One female mouse can produce up to 35 offspring annually.
The other common rodents in Rhode Island may not affect homeowners inside the house as rats and mice, but they cause problems on the property. The long bushy tail is an easily identifiable characteristic of a squirrel. These 6 to 15-inch rodents prefer to live in trees but will climb into the attic due to falling temperatures.
Chipmunks are a type of squirrel, but instead of living in trees, these 5 to 6-inch creatures (not including the 3 to 4-inch tail) borrow into the ground under the patio, stairs, and foundation. Gophers, voles, and porcupines also damage Rhode Island lawns. Voles have a chestnut brown 5 to 7-inch short, stocky body with short legs and a short tail. Gophers have a 5 to 14-inch brown body (depending on the species), small ears and eyes, and short tails. They live 95% of the time underground feeding on tubers, roots, and plants. While voles, chipmunks, and gophers live and work underneath the soil, two to three-foot-long porcupines roam in the yard feeding on plants, tree bark, and evergreen needles.
Big Blue Bug Solutions removes all types of rodents from Rhode Island properties. We have the tools, training, and experience to end a rodent infestation inside the home or around your property.
Rodent Dangers: Health Risks And Property Damage
Several items make rodents dangerous to your health and home. Let's begin by examining why their hairy coat is an issue. Rodents forage in trash cans, sewers, drains, compost piles, and other unsanitary areas which are Petri dishes for bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms. As they travel through these areas, pathogens stick to their fur. If the rodents are commensal rodents, like rats and mice, they transfer the disease-causing organisms as they bump against items while moving through the house in the dark. Infectious organisms may also spread if you handle a dead rodent without proper protection. Disease-causing organisms also stick to their claws.
Rodents can spread disease if they scratch you while attempting to release them from a trap.
Rodents are not the only creature that forages in polluted areas. Fleas and ticks also thrive in these locations. As rodents consume organic plant and animal matter in these locations, the insects attach themselves to their bodies and hide in their fur. Later, if the rodents enter a Rhode Island home, the fleas, and ticks fall from the rodent and wait to attach to a human or pet host. Unfortunately, these insects are also purveyors of numerous diseases.
As rodents eat in unsanitary areas, they consume pathogens which they later spread through urine, feces, and saliva. Rats and mice release droppings inside kitchen cabinets onto utensils, mixing bowls, and drying towels.
The following is a sample of the diseases these different types of rodents and their hitchhiking associates spread to humans:
- Leptospirosis
- Tularemia
- Salmonellosis
- Jaundice
- Cowpox virus
- Trichinosis
This list does not include the diseases rodents spread specific to their species (i.e., rats spread rat-bite fever, house mice transmit lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), etc.). Furthermore, the droppings of rats, mice, and squirrels deposit flakes away and begin circulating in the air inside the home. These airborne particles can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in the occupants.
Rodents constantly gnaw on available objects to keep their teeth trim and sharp. As a result, they damage wood furniture, plastic and glass storage containers, house siding, walls, and floors. Squirrels, rats, and mice create nests where electrical and internet wiring exists. Due to their need to chew, they strip wires of their protective coating exposing them to moisture and each other. Short circuits, loss of internet, and house fires can disrupt those who work from home resulting in income loss, destruction of appliances, or the loss of a home.
Chipmunks, voles, and other yard-based rodents can destroy shrubs, trees, gardens, and landscaping plants when they chew through their root systems or destroy the bark around the base of the trees.
Big Blue Bug Solutions protects the health and safety of your family by providing effective rodent control.
Professional Rodent Control: The Safe Way To Remove An Infestation
Rodent removal can result in bodily harm and the transmission of diseases to humans. For that reason (and many others), you need rodent pest control from Big Blue Bug Solutions.
We will dispatch a certified, trained technician to inspect your Rhode Island home for signs of a rodent infestation. Our technicians can identify the type of rodent causing the problem, entry points, attractants, and hot spots. Upon collecting the data, we create a custom treatment plan that strategically incorporates traps, baits, and other products to remove rodents from your home.
Rodent Prevention Tips: How to Keep Your Property Rodent-Free
Once a technician from Big Blue Bug Solutions eradicates the rodents from your Rhode Island home, you want to make sure they never return by implementing the following rodent prevention tips:
- Remove debris and junk from the yard.
- Prune trees and shrubs away from the house.
- Close gaps between mortar and siding and between incoming wires.
- Seal cracks in the foundation and roofline.
- Keep outdoor and indoor garbage containers closed.
- Remove rotting fruit from the yard.
- Eliminate standing water and items which hold water on the property.
- Fix holes in window and door screens.
- Install door sweeps.
- Place wire mesh over the attic and crawlspace vents.
When a Big Blue Bug Solutions technician inspects your property, we can provide additional exclusion and deterrent ideas based on your situation. Contact us today to learn more about our rodent removal program and to schedule a service.
