If you hear scratching or squeaking in your walls or scurrying overhead, you may have rodents living in your New Braunfels home. This guide will explain what rodents look like, how to prevent them from invading, why they come in without an invitation, and the easy way to control them with a professional New Braunfels pest control company like Gold Star Exterminators.
What Do Rodents Look Like?
What animals are considered rodents? There are many of them – about 2,000 species of rodents currently exist. Here in New Braunfels, we typically deal with rats and mice.
Mice are typically five to eight inches long, including their tail. They range in color from golden brown to brown to gray, usually with white or cream bellies and feet. They have beady eyes and large, round ears on their triangular heads. Depending on the species, there may or may not be hair on their ears and tails.
Rats are larger, ranging from 12 to 18 inches long, including their hairless tail, which is longer than their head and body combined. They’re usually brownish-gray or gray with lighter bellies. They also have beady eyes, but their ears are relatively smaller than those of mice.
One way to tell if you have mice or rats in New Baunfels is to look at the droppings they leave behind. Mouse droppings are ¼ to ½ inch long and tapered on the ends. Rat droppings are ½ to ¾ inch long and may be tapered or blunt on the ends.
Five Tips For Effective Rodent Prevention
Texas rodents can be prevented from coming into your house if you take certain steps to exclude them. Here are a few examples:
- Seal or cover cracks and crevices in your foundation. Mice can fit through a crack as wide as a pencil and into a hole as small as a dime. Rats only need a little more room, squeezing through holes the size of a nickel. Use silicone caulk or ¼ inch hardware cloth that’s 26 gauge or heavier so the rodents can’t chew through to get inside. While you’re at it, cover your vents, weep holes, and chimney to prevent access, too.
- Eliminate food sources. Take down your bird feeders and take your pet’s food bowl inside at dusk. Clean up any dropped fruit or nuts from trees in your yard. Build a hardware cloth or chicken wire cage around your garden to keep rodents from feasting on your hard work.
- Get rid of harborage spots. Rodents love nesting in yard debris, piles of fallen leaves, cluttered flower beds, and stacks of firewood. Clean up your yard and move your firewood at least 20 feet away from your house. Put it on a rack at least 12 inches high to further discourage rodents from nesting there.
- Eliminate any water sources. Remove bird baths and pet water bowls. Fix any leaky faucets and sprinkler systems. Make sure your downspout empties out farther away from your house using splash stones or downspout extenders.
- Trim trees and bushes away from your house. Tree branches shouldn’t be closer than six feet, and bushes should be at least two feet away from your exterior walls.
As you can see, outdoor rodent control can go a long way toward making your house unattractive to rodents. Preventing them from coming inside is the best way to fix an infestation before it starts.
Why Do Rodents Tend To Invade Homes?
Rodents have the same basic needs we do: food, water, and shelter. They’re commensal animals, meaning they rely on people to survive. Our homes are easy sources of all of their basic needs. Knowing how to get rid of rodents means knowing how to remove those temptations, including putting food in airtight containers or the refrigerator, drying your sink when you’re done using it, and regularly checking your attic, basement, crawl space, and garage for signs of rodent activity.
Rodent Control The Easy Way In New Braunfels
The easiest way to get rid of rodents in New Braunfels is to call in a professional rodent control company such as Gold Star Exterminators. We have over 40 years of experience in pest control at our family-owned and operated business. Contact us today for your free estimate and to find out more about our rodent control services.