
When you were in school, you undoubtedly had moments when you stared at a math problem trying to figure out the correct solution to the problem. As you looked at the paper, your mind scrambled to find the avenue to solve the equation. Finding a solution is not easy; sometimes, you need a tutor or additional help to get you moving in the right direction.
When rodents enter your house, you need to find a solution. Hearing them scratch inside the walls or underneath the floor while you lay in bed at night is disconcerting. Watching a mouse scurry from beneath a piece of furniture is frightening, and finding droppings in the pantry is sickening.
As most of us learned from our school day, finding a solution yourself is not always possible; occasionally, you need help from others. Although many think the answer to their rodent problem is a few traps, they soon discover that no matter how many snares they install, they continue to have rodents running through the house.
Instead of wearing yourself out battling rodents, you need pest control in Plymouth from Combat Pest Control. For the last 25 years, our locally owned and operated company has removed pests from local homes. As National Pest Control Association members, we take our mandate to provide high-quality pest control seriously. We train our technicians to use the latest, environmentally safe products.
You probably found this article because you are looking for a solution to your rodent problem, and we want to help you. Part of finding an answer to your rodent issue involves learning about the enemy and how to keep them out of your house. So, please keep reading to learn what you need to know to combat rodents in your home.
What Are Rodents?
A pair of upper and lower incisor teeth distinguish rodents from other mammals. Rodents in the yard (i.e., moles, voles, gophers) use these ever-growing teeth to cut through roots, while others use them to cut down small trees and access nuts (i.e., beavers and squirrels). While most rodents are wild animals that prefer to live apart from humans, some rodents, like mice and rats, don't mind sharing space with people. These commensal rodents use their sharp, long teeth to cut holes in walls and floors to access homes when they need food, water, and shelter. Because of the razor edge on their teeth from the intersection of enamel and dentine, these animals can gnaw through wires, thin aluminum siding, plastic, wood, glass, and even concrete.
The following are the rodents that infest many Plymouth homes:
- House mice
- Norway rats
- Roof rats
- Wood rats
We will briefly describe each rodent so you can identify the types of rodents in Plymouth.
House mice are the smallest compared to rat rodents. Not including the tail, these dusty grey or light brown furry creatures have a body measurement of 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches; add another 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches for their long tail. House mice live in secluded areas in Plymouth homes in nests created from paper, insulation, fabrics, and other materials.
Norway rats are the largest-bodied rodents infesting many Plymouth homes, with a total body length of 16 inches. Although roof rats have a similar overall measurement, Norway rats are heavier. Also called street, sewer, or brown rats, these animals have brown fur interspersed with black hairs on the topside and a grey-to-white belly. They also have a blunt muzzle.
Sometimes called black or ship rats, the roof rats are similar in size and coloration to Norway rats but are lighter, have slender bodies, and have scaly tails. As their name suggests, these rodents prefer to live in attics and second or third floors of homes which they access using tree branches touching the house.
Whether they know it or not, if someone accuses you of being a pack rat, they think you act like a rodent. Wood rats, also known as packrats or trade rats, have the same brownish-grey coloration as the other rats on our list. Sometimes called packrats because they collect food, bones, sticks, shiny metal objects, and other debris near their dens, these rats have bushy tails and vary in body length depending upon the species.
If you have been searching for rodent control near you, look no further than Combat Pest Control. Our trained and certified technicians know the signs of a rodent infestation and will provide you with a solution to your rat or mouse problem.
Why Effective Rodent Control Is So Important
When we hear what we believe are rodents in the walls, crawl space, basement, or attic, there is a good reason we intuitively want them removed. Rodents carry bacteria and viruses that can transfer to surfaces, items, and people in the house. Disease-causing pathogens from surfaces in sewers, drains, trash, and compost bins, stick to the feet and oily fur of rats and mice as they forage in these areas. Fleas and ticks also inhabit these areas where they hitchhike onto the passing animal by jumping onto it or through questing (ticks).
Other sources of bacteria, viruses, and roundworms via rodents are their feces, urine, and saliva. When these mammals feed in unsanitary, germ-saturated areas, they consume the pathogenic organisms, which they later spread when they defecate or gnaw on objects.
House mice spread leptospirosis, tularemia, salmonellosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), which produce flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, and cramps. Rats transmit some of the same bacterial diseases plus rat-bite fever; they also spread the cowpox virus and roundworms that cause trichinosis.
When the hitchhiking fleas and ticks move from the rodents and attach to humans, they can infect their host with similar diseases and other serious infections. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. Fleas can transfer bacteria, viruses, and tapeworms to their human and pet hosts causing murine typhus, tungiasis, bartonellosis, and tapeworm and anemia in pets. Symptoms from these infections range from mild, flu-like to life-threatening issues requiring immediate medical attention.
In addition to the infections rodents spread, they also trigger allergic reactions such as runny nose, itchy eyes, etc., from dried airborne fecal matter.
While rodents endanger the health of occupants, they can cause physical damage to the property. Destruction can be the marring of furniture and holes in the walls and floors; however, there is potential for worse to happen. Because rodents live where wiring is present, they chew the wires to trim their teeth and remove the protective coating. The combination of electrified exposed wires, moisture, and the shuffling of materials by the movement of rodents in walls can spark electrical fires. It is possible rodents are involved when a seemingly uncaused house fire begins.
Protect your family's health from the diseases rats carry and the other dangers rodents cause by partnering with Combat Pest Control. With over a quarter-century of experience, we know how to remove rodents from your Plymouth home.
Simple Rodent Exclusion Tips That Work
You do not have to battle rodents if you take steps to keep them from entering your property and home. Here are a few rodent prevention tips that will keep rodents out of your house:
- Prune tree and shrub branches away from the structure
- Install 1/4 inch wire mesh over the crawl space and attic openings
- Seal gaps between incoming pipes and wires with steel wool
- Close dime-sized or larger holes with steel wool or a mortar mix
In addition to preventing rodents from entering the house, deter them from staying on the property by removing pet and bird feeders, keeping outdoor garbage containers closed, and providing proper drainage to ditches and low-lying areas.
Reduce enticement to enter the house by keeping indoor garbage cans closed, regularly vacuuming the house, suctioning out corners and cracks, and removing excess boxes, magazines, and debris from the garage, crawl space, basement, and attic. Maintaining a clean, dry interior and exterior will deter rodents from staying on the property and entering the house.
When a certified pest control technician from Combat Pest Control arrives to provide rodent control for your home, they will inspect the house for attractants and entry points. We will give you additional suggestions for the house and property based on the information collected during our investigation.
Professional Rodent Control Is The Best Solution
Removing rodents is more complicated than purchasing a few traps because many rodents quickly multiply. These furry, disease-ridden creatures will infest the property until you address the den, attractants, and entry points, and most people do not know the solutions to those problems.
When you contact Combat Pest Control for effective rodent control in Plymouth, we will listen to your concern and dispatch a pest control technician to your location. We will inspect your property to determine the items mentioned above. Utilizing training and experience, our technician will use the data to create a rodent removal plan incorporating bait stations and strategically located traps.
We are the local, fast, and effective pest control service that is the solution to your rodent problem. Contact us today to learn more about rodent control plans and get a free estimate.

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