Mice and rats are extremely crafty creatures that can wreak havoc on a home or business. They’re destructive, dirty, and bad news. Mice can fit through gaps as small as a quarter inch wide, typically the space below most doors. They’ll live in voids within the walls, drawers, cupboards, or shelves. Rats are a major problem as well. In California, we often deal with the Norway Rat, also known as the sewer rat. Those burrow their way into buildings, messing up foundations, and are often spotted near trash piles, gardens, and storm drains. The Roof Rat is also a big problem, often sneaking into attics and voids in the ceilings by climbing up trees and making the trek to the roof.

Mice and rats’ incisors don’t have roots like humans, so they never stop growing. Because of this, they grind their teeth against whatever they can find to keep the teeth from growing into their skulls. As a result, they’ll chew up nearly everything, including doorframes, walls, cardboard boxes, books, plastic bags, and even electrical wiring. Electrical fires destroy thousands of homes and result in billions of dollars in damage each year, and experts say rats and mice can be blamed for a large portion of those fires, with their habit of chewing up the wiring.

They are also responsible for billions of dollars in lost crops annually. The United Nations estimates rats alone can be blamed for the loss of 42 million tons of food across the globe yearly, totaling about $30 billion. In the United States, the damage they do to homes and their terrorizing of crops and spread of illness leads to an estimated $19 billion lost, a figure higher than any other invasive animal species. 

The list of illnesses they spread is scary. Things like Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, Monkeypox, Salmonella, Typhus, and Tularemia. Those diseases spread from direct contact, like a scratch or bite, or indirect contact, like exposure to urine, feces, saliva, or by ingesting rodent-contaminated food. Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes that bite infected rats can also spread illnesses like Lyme Disease and plague. Their urine and dander can also agitate allergies and trigger asthma attacks.

Some signs to look out for if you’re suspicious of an infestation are hair, droppings, and greasy marking on baseboards, tracks, and nests. You may also notice scattered food scraps or the smell of urine.

Many things can attract mice and rats to your property. It’s important to keep food, including pet food, and water sealed up tight in plastic, glass, or metal containers with tight lids. Make sure to regularly take out the trash and keep garbage cans outside in bins with heavy lids. Don’t let the dishes pile up in the sink. Outside, ensure tree limbs and shrubs don’t go near the building or over the roof, and keep grass and shrubs trimmed back, so they don’t offer rodents protection.

Although taking those steps may discourage them from coming to your property, it won’t deal with an already existing infestation. For that, you’ll need experts like the local and veteran-owned company Alpha Charlie Exterminators. Contact us today for all your pest control needs.