The old adage of how to build a better mousetrap has been pondered by many people. But the problem remains the same. Mice and rats are an enormous issue for home and business owners. These rodents get into to our food supply, our homes and our businesses and wreak havoc. It’s important that we create a barrier and separate ourselves from these kinds of animals. They can carry disease and cause unsanitary conditions for us and our loved ones. In this article let’s take a look at mice and rats and see if we can unravel the mystery of their lifecycle, the dangers they pose to humans and how we can deal with them.

RODENTS AND REPRODUCTION

All rodents find themselves at the bottom of the food chain. These tiny mammals are fed upon by just about every predator on the planet. You can find mice and rats and at least six of the seven continents. Because of this they can reproduce prolifically. Female mice can actually get pregnant before they give birth to the litter that they’re carrying. They do this in order to keep their numbers high enough to not be eating into extinction. This makes it difficult to deal with them once they found their way in your home or business. But your Broken Arrow exterminator can help you with that.  

RODENT AGILITY

Both mice and rats have amazing agility. If they can get their head through a space, then the rest of the body could be collapsed to the point that they can move through that space. A hole the size of a dime is big enough for a mouse to make its way through and a hole the size of a quarter is big enough for a rat. In Oklahoma, our ground moves constantly. This means that the foundations of our homes and businesses are constantly getting new cracks in them. Gaps left in bricks for expansion also give these rodents the ability to enter and exit our homes at will. Because of this, it’s a good idea to plug as many unwanted cracks as possible, but it must be understood it there’s no way you can close off every gap and every hole in your home or business.

These rodents have a very adept ability to both jump and climb. A rat and jump 6 feet in the air, and mice can climb up a sheer brick wall. This agility helps them to get away from predators, and to get in places that they need to be to survive. They have a great sense of smell and feeling, but their sense of sight is the weakest. Because of this, rodents will follow the edge of the wall when entering a room. They use their whiskers to feel the wall as they run around the edge of it. Using their sense of smell, they can find food inside sealed plastic bags and containers and other places. Your Tulsa exterminator will have more information.  

THEIR FRONT TEETH

Rodents have a pair of large front teeth that never stop growing. They must chew on something to keep these teeth trimmed to the point that they don’t grow too large. If a mouse or rat neglects chewing on things for an extended period of time, those teeth can grow so large that they can keep the animal from being able to feed itself. This will cause the rodent to starve to death. Because of this they become prolific chewers. Often when mice get into pantries, they will chew right through plastic containers and plastic bags. This gives them access to food stuff that is already sealed. That’s why it’s important to put all of your food items into hard plastic Tupperware containers that can’t be chewed through.

RODENT POISEN, TRAPS AND DETERRENCE

You can find many different deterrence for these rodents on the market today. In your hardware store there are plenty of poisons, traps and deterrence that are available. Some of them are completely useless. For instance the ultrasonic style traps are pretty much a scam. These noisemakers attempt to make sound are mice and rats don’t like and therefore leave the premises. But at the end of the day, the need for food and shelter is far more convincing than any offensive sound. Even if the ultrasonic sounds are uncomfortable for these animals, they will get used to it and order two take care of their more important needs.

While traps can be effective at eliminating one or two of these animals, they usually cannot kill enough of them to be affective against an entire infestation. These rodents reproduce so quickly, the killing one or two in a trap doesn’t even put a dent in their population. The real solution is to use poisons. It’s very important that you’re careful with these kinds of pesticides if you buy them over-the-counter. They could be very damaging to children or pets and in many times can be fatal. Follow the label for the proper use of any pesticide including rodenticides. Contact your Tulsa pest control company for more help.  

RODENTICIDES AND DEALING WITH RODENTS

There are two kinds of rodenticides.There are anticoagulants, and non-anticoagulants. An anticoagulant is a pesticide that causes the blood of the target animal not to clot. These animals often get scrapes and cuts from different things as they move. If they have been eating anticoagulants, this means that they will bleed out and die. Often anticoagulants take multiple doses to be effective. The benefit of anticoagulants is that there are antidote for these pesticides. Non-anticoagulants usually poison in some other method. Often they attack the nervous system or other part of the body. In most cases non-anticoagulants are lethal upon first dose, but also lack the antidote required if a non-target animal finds and eats this rodenticide. That’s why it’s important to read the label and make sure you are using any pesticide or rodenticide properly.

If you’re having an issue with rodents or any other pests, it’s time to call and the best Broken Arrow pest control company in the business. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we specialize in helping you with rodents and any other pets that you may have. We serve the greater Tulsa area including Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Prattville, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Turley and much more. Call us today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!