Norway rat in the garden between grass blades

Professional Rodent Inspections

Professional rodent inspections are an important part of living in Florida. Rodent control is very important on the interior and exterior of your home. Rodents are omnivores and feed on everything from seeds and fruits, to pet food, and garbage.

Besides, the basic ‘ICK’ factor of living with or around rodents – they can be destructive to homes, chewing up duct work and A/C components, chewing holes in soffits, drywall, and electrical wiring. It is estimated that rodents are responsible for 5% of house fires. Once inside a house or structure, they will urinate and defecate all over as they walk, leaving about 50 droppings per day and urine trails.

Rodents carry multiple diseases and parasites such as fleas, ticks, mites, hook worms, round worms, and tape worms.  Diseases are spread by rats and mice worldwide. These diseases are spread to humans directly and indirectly. Humans may contact diseases from contact with rodent feces, urine, and saliva or simply from handling rodents and rodent bites. Humans may also contract diseases indirectly from fleas, mites and ticks that have fed on an infected rodent.

Exclusion is the first step in rodent control, then setting traps as you can lock them in or out when the exclusion is done. All affected insulation should be removed along with all droppings. The area should then be completely sanitized. Then, once it is determined that rodents are no longer getting in, an exterior bait box service can be used to reduce the rodent pressure on the structure.

We never recommend throwing poison inside at all, or outside until exclusion is done.

If rodent holes are discovered with a professional inspection, the following steps need to be followed:

Rodent Trapping

Our trained technicians find rodent entry points through thoroughly inspecting the interior and exterior of your home for rodent entry points.

Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter!

Once the technician has found the entry points, the technician will provide the homeowner with an estimate to fix the holes and trap the rodents.

We do not use poisonous bait on the interior of your home.

Rodent Baiting

Once the technician has found the holes, fixed the holes and trapped the rodents, the homeowner may want to consider reducing the rodent pressure around the home. The rodents (now dead!) left a urine trail marking where they were gaining entry to your home. Other rodents in the neighborhood may follow the trail and gnaw their way back in.

By strategically placing rodent bait boxes around the exterior of the home we can reduce the number of rodents in the area. With less competition for food, the rodent will find easier places for food and shelter. We have several rodent bait box replenishing plans available; quarterly, every other month, or monthly.

If you would like more information about the diseases rodents carry click the following links…
Direct Diseases and Indirect Diseases

Rodents Commonly Found in Tampa Bay

Roof Rats or Fruit Rats – These rats have large ears and a pointy nose. Their tails are longer than their body and they are usually gray with a white belly, and have extra pads on their feet for climbing. They live above ground in trees, palm trees, and commonly in attics. These rats are usually smaller than Norway rats but can be up to 16 inches in length and weigh 8 to 12 ounces. Their droppings are long and crinkly.

Norway Rats – This type of rat originated in the plains of Asia. They are normally a burrowing rodent, but can be found in attics and in crawl spaces. Adult Norway Rats are about 16 inches in length and weigh around 12 ounces. They are usually light brown to black in color with a tail that is longer than their body, short ears, and a blunt nose. Their droppings are smooth, round and bulbous.

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