RODENT
Apex Pest and Lawn is your Professional Rodents Exterminators along the Wasatch Front.
Apex Pest and Lawn technicians are experts in the identification and control of mice and rats. Our thorough inspections include a survey of all potential harborages inside and outside, all food and water sources and possible points of entry into your home or structure. Following the free initial rodent control survey we will suggest control procedures and preventative measures. Our rodent control services can be a one time event or a regularly scheduled preventative service.
Why you have Rodents:
Mice and rats can live wherever humans live or store food products, or dispose of refuse. Rats are excellent climbers, jumpers and swimmers. Mice can fit through a hole the size of your finger tip. These rodents have a remarkable ability to adapt .Rodents enter buildings in search of food, water, and shelter or they may be transported in boats, trains, trucks or in freight and cargo. As temperatures cool in the fall, they seek out the same shelters that people use for home, or business, or transportation. Man has been plagued by rodent infestations for thousands of years.
General Facts:
Rodents contaminate food, damage buildings, and other property by constant gnawing and burrowing. They also can spread diseases to people and pets. Rodents, like mice and rats in commercial facilities can cause significant economic losses for a company and tarnish their professional reputation. For restaurants, hospitals, and similar establishments, these rodents are a pest control headache. Since rodents are so small and secretive, people are often unaware that they have these animals living within the wall voids, attic spaces, between floors, beneath the house, or behind a cabinet. People often discover rodent infestations by the tell-tale signs of rat or mouse droppings or gnawed food packages. Rodents can gnaw through just about anything, using their two large incisors to chew through electrical wires often causing accidental fires.
Common Rodents:
House Mouse
The house mouse is commonly grayish, but the color can vary. The body is about 3 to 4 inches in length, with the tail being of equal length. Mice can gain access to a home through an opening of ¼ inch. By nature mice are herbivores; they prefer to feed on cereal grains, but will eat almost any type of food and food scraps. They require very little water, because they obtain most of their water needs from their food. They also store extra food in burrows and other hiding places. The major health risk associated with the house mouse is salmonella and leptospirosis. Mice reach sexual maturity in 5-8 weeks and female mice reproduce up to 8 times annually with litters ranging from 4 to 7 pups. That means up to 56 (8 x 7) new mice per year. They can jump up about 12 inches and can leap down from a height of 12 feet without injury.
Norway Rat
The head and body of the Norway rat will range from 7 1/2 to 9 1/2 inches. The scaly tail is 6 to 8 inches in length. Their fur is shaggy brown with some black hairs. They have small eyes and ears. These rats are nocturnal and very cautious. They can enter a structure through an opening as small as a 1/2 inch. Indoors, they prefer to nest on the lower levels, such as a basement. Outdoors, they burrow in soil, under sidewalks, near streams and rivers, piles of garbage, etc. They will chew through almost anything to get to food or water but they prefer meat, fish, and cereals. Adults usually live between 6 to 12 months. Generally producing 3 – 6 litters, with an average of 7 – 8 young per litter.
Rodent Control
Good sanitation will limit the number of rats or mice that can survive in around your dwelling or business. Proper storage and handling of food products, proper sanitation will not completely eliminate the possibility of a rat infestation, but will make your home less suitable for them to thrive. The most successful rat control procedure is to build them out and make their access to your living area virtually impossible. All small holes and opening should be sealed shut.