Rodents: The Dangers They Pose To You & Your Dallas Home
November 13, 2020
Rodents are deceptive creatures. At first glance, it is hard to tell if they are cute and harmless or mischievous and threatening. In all honesty, they can be both. But where is the fine line drawn between a pet rodent and a pest rodent? To answer this question today, here are some facts you should know, along with some dangers pest rodents bring to Dallas homes.
Types Of Rodents Around Dallas
The term “rodent” is used to describe a class of mammals that has sharp, ever-growing front incisor teeth. Consider beavers; these larger rodents chew on wood constantly to keep their teeth filed down and gather materials to build their dams. Mice and rats are very similar, but the only difference is that they use their sharp teeth to chew their way into homes. Unlike beavers who prefer living out in nature, these smaller rodents would much rather live inside a temperature-controlled environment that offers them easy access to food, water, and shelter.
How Fast Do Rodents Reproduce?
One reason rodents are a serious problem around Dallas homes is that they reproduce faster than most mammals. A single female mouse has five to 10 litters a year, each containing three to 14 pups. Conversely, rats have roughly six litters a year, with 5 to ten pups per group. In short, the more female rodents there are, the faster a rodent infestation grows. This makes the use of store-bought traps and other stationary rodent control systems obsolete, as they are not able to eliminate these pests faster than they produce young.
How Destructive Are Rodents?
Rodents destroy properties primarily using their sharp teeth. You have probably seen or heard of these pests chewing holes through walls or gnawing on furniture, but you could be completely unaware of the more serious problems happening just outside your view. For instance, did you know mice and rats are known to sever electrical wires and gnaw through utility piping? This often creates sparks and leaks within the walls of a home, threatening fire and/or serious moisture damage.
How Dangerous Are Rodents?
Stress and frustration are not the only threats rodents pose to homeowners. When allowed to roam freely and make their own decisions, these furry pests make some fairly poor choices. Choices like swimming through sewage, crawling through trash, or munching on filthy animal carcasses. This type of behavior causes rodents to pick up a fair amount of disease-causing organisms that threaten people with some serious sickness.
Flea and tick infestations are also closely associated with rodent invasion. If you didn’t know, these parasitic disease-spreading pests rely on the blood of humans and animals to survive. Just like a trojan horse, fleas and ticks use rodents to sneak their way into homes. Once inside, they will then jump off and look for more sources of food (i.e. you, your family, and your pets.)
The Best Way To Handle Rodents
When rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels come knocking, tell them to go away by hiring the professionals at Brinker Animal Removal. Our team offers comprehensive rodent removal services for local homeowners and long term control plans to ensure pests like rodents stay outside where they belong. With a lifetime guarantee, damage repair services, and a highly trained team of friendly pest technicians, you can be sure we are your best choice for the job at hand.
Give us a call today to find your best pest solution and have one of our technicians inspect your Dallas home for rodents.