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What Are Rodents?

Rodents are a type of mammal. Their diversity in size, shape, behavior, food preferences, and nesting sites gives them the ability to live successfully worldwide. Examples of rodents include beavers, porcupines, chipmunks, squirrels, rats and moles. Two of the most common species of rodents that invade Tennessee homes and businesses are the mouse and rat. The mouse has a small, oval-shaped body with a pointed snout, and small, dark, protruding eyes. Both its long tail and ears have a light layer of fur covering them. Rats are bigger than mice, and have scaly tails and ears that are void of hair. Both mice and rats are unwanted visitors to residential and commercial properties, inside and out.

Are rodents dangerous?

Rodents are dangerous pests, and should never live in or around your home. They cause many problems, including structural damage, health risks, and the contamination of food.

Rodents have continually growing front incisors, and to keep their teeth from overgrowing, they constantly gnaw on our home’s structural elements like wires, pipes, drywall, flooring, and beams.
The presence of rodents and their constant needs to chew leads to short circuits, fire damage, and water damage.
Rodents damage and stain clothing, furniture, boxes, books, and other personal items.
When inside your home, rodents will forage for food in your kitchen and pantry contaminating food sources with their saliva and excrement.
As rodents travel around your house, they leave behind trails of urine and droppings, contaminating food prep areas and other surfaces.
Rodents carry on their bodies fleas, ticks, and other parasites that they will introduce into your yard and home.
Rodents spread a variety of diseases that make people ill, such as salmonella and hantavirus.

Why do I have a rodent problem?

Like all rodents, mice and rats are wild animals. Over time, rodents have come to partially rely on people for their food, shelter, and water needs. They find our yards and homes provide them with everything they need to thrive without needing to continually search for their next food source. Rodents often use our homes and other buildings as a place to overwinter away from the cold weather.

Where will I find rodents?

Rodents mainly live outside in sheltered areas out of the sight of predators. There are many areas of shelter in our yards that attract rodents like woodpiles, trees, dense vegetation, gardens, and outbuildings. When living outside near our homes, it is common for rodents to find their way indoors. Inside, rodents nest in a variety of places, but usually within 100 feet of a food source. Attics, basements, the backs of cabinets, behind appliances, and wall voids are all typical nesting sites. Rodents are nocturnal. They sleep during the day, coming out at night to search for food.

How do I get rid of rodents?

The task of eliminating rodents from your Tennessee property should be left to a professional. At Colonial Pest Control, we have 50 years of combined pest control experience. We know pests and how to eliminate them from properties once and for all!

We guarantee our results and take pride in treating our customers like family. We are a local company dedicated to using only the most efficient, cutting-edge services possible. If you are looking for exceptional pest solutions for your Knoxville area home or business, contact the pest professionals here at Colonial Pest Control today!

How can I prevent rodents in the future?

In addition to our professional pest control services, take the time necessary to implement these easy-to-execute prevention tips:

Seal up any holes or other openings you find on the exterior of your house. Mice can enter through spaces the diameter of a pencil and rats the diameter of a quarter!
Use steel wool or expandable foam to seal spaces around wires, cables, and pipes entering your home.
If the weatherstripping on doors and windows or door sweeps are damaged, replace them.
Place covers over vents, drains, and chimney openings.
Get rid of a rodent’s easy access to food. Keep locking lids on trash cans, pick up pet food each evening, maintain gardens areas, and keep decks and patios free of food debris.
Remove trash from your home daily and regularly vacuum or sweep floors to get rid of stray crumbs.
Rodents love to hide in the clutter found in basements and closets. Keep storage areas as organized as possible.
Store your belongings in plastic containers, not in cardboard boxes that rodents can easily chew through.