You would think rats and mice wouldn’t be a nuisance during the winter months, but professionals say they become even more aggressive when cold weather hits. Just like humans, rodents also look for warm places to burrow, and they’ll try to find ways to get into your home.
Rodents Developing A Better Resistance
They are intelligent, nimble and extremely adaptable: rats spread throughout cities and communities. The professionals say when it comes to any residential pest control services chicago il residents should have consistent and on-going maintenance. In Chicago, rats have become the number one scourge. The once light-shy rodents have become fearless, and even worse, they are becoming resistant to poisonous bait.
Most pest controllers say the fight against rats already accounts for most of their service requests. Because rats procreate so frequently, with large litters, professionals are having to service the same places every other month. Certain types of poison are ineffective because the rodents have become resistant. In resistance areas, only highly toxic baits are effective. However, these may only be used by trained professionals.
Attempts by Chicago to curb this on-going plague has failed because the animals repeatedly found always retreat and return. Driven by low temperatures that cause rodents to look for warm places to shelter, they easily squeeze through small cracks and fixtures. These animals will gnaw through doors and roofs, find entrance through sewage systems and water drains, and duct systems. Where there is a vulnerability, rats can invade.
How To Keep Rats Out The Home
Peppermint Plant. Many homeowners swear by this plant because it exudes a strong smell that is particularly unpleasant to the rodents. Place these plants by doors and windows, and in corners of the home. Furthermore, in the herbal medicine section of a grocery store, you’ll find peppermint oil. Cotton swabs soaked in this essential peppermint oil can be placed in vents and vulnerable areas within the home.
Steel Wool. Wedged inside of cracks that are used by mice to access the house, the material serves to block the path, as it is more difficult to nibble.
Cats. Not always the best solution, especially if you’re not a cat lover, but cats do keep mice at bay.
The Signs You Have A Rodent Invasion
It may take a while to notice you have one mouse, but that quickly changes as they multiply. The first suspicions are noises at night. Mice like to find warm, dark places for nesting and reproducing, so noises coming from the walls and ceilings are initial signs. You’ll also notice the small gnawed wood, paper products, and wires. Another unequivocal sign is excrement. Not only through urine, but mice can also be detected through the feces. They look like dark pellets, about the size of a grain of rice. Usually, there are several excrements scattered, more or less, all in the same area and along a path. If you have found the confirmation of mice or rats in your house, do not hesitate to call a professional. They reproduce quickly, and just a few can turn into dozens, so pest professionals say don’t wait or you’ll have a bigger problem to deal with.
