Rodents are troublesome pests. They don't mean to cause trouble. They just follow a few basic instincts. If you understand what motivates a rat or mouse to do what it does, you can keep these pests out of your home. 

Join us today as we look at common rodents in Vero Beach and where you will likely find evidence of rodent activity. We'll go over what rodents do inside your home and give you ways to counteract their natural behavior patterns. We'll also look at the expert techniques used by pest professionals to get control of rodents and keep them out. And, if you stick with us to the end of this short piece, we'll tell you how you can take what you've learned here and prevent a future rodent problem before it begins.

As always, help is available if you need it. HomeShield Pest Control provides general pest and rodent control in Vero Beach. We can guide you every step of the way. Reach out to us for assistance.

Signs Of Rodent Activity: How To Detect A Problem Early

You can catch rodents early if you know where they will likely make their nests and what routes they typically take when they travel. A rodent is going to do what comes naturally. The three common rodent species in Vero Beach are Norway rats, roof rats, and house mice. These animals follow similar patterns. Here are the behavior patterns they follow that will help you detect activity:

  • Rodents Hide In Cavities: In nature, you'll find rats and mice in tree cavities and caves. When searching for nests, look in similar places. For example, check the drawers in a dresser stored in your attic. If you find soft material in the drawer, you've found a rodent nest.

  • Rodents Run Along Walls: Rats and mice have poor vision. In nature, they'll use trees and rocks to move from one location to another. They do this like a blind man using a cane. They feel with their whiskers and the hairs on their bodies. If you want to find evidence of rodents, it helps to check along foundational walls or the baseboards in your home. Look for grease marks on surfaces or a trail of droppings.  

  • Rodents Create A Scent Map: Rats and mice can't help but leave droplets of urine as they explore. They do this to assist with navigation. A rodent can move about in absolute darkness using their noses to guide them. If you go into an attic space, storage room, or shed and smell urine, rodents are likely the culprits.  

  • Rodents Gnaw Holes: Rats and mice can't help making small holes larger. In nature, the reward they get when they chew on a small opening is shelter, sometimes in a tree cavity. Imagine how happy they are when they find a spacious wall void or attic space. Inspect your home and look for tiny holes that rodents have chewed on. You'll find these low to the ground or floor.

Do you see how rodent behavior can help you find evidence you have a rodent problem? If you catch a problem early enough, you can prevent backyard rodents from becoming unwanted houseguests. But if we're too late, don't worry. You can use rodent behavior to understand these pests and take appropriate steps to deal with them.

rat drinking water

The Rodent Menace: Understanding The Threat Of Uninvited Guests

It is helpful to consider the instincts that drive rodents as you decide what to do about an infestation on your Vero Beach property. The things rodents do are appropriate outdoors but entirely inappropriate within your home. Let's take a look:

  • Droppings And Urine: As we pointed out, rodents leave their waste and urine everywhere. If they leave it on items in storage, rugs, floors, or insulation, it can soak in and cause contamination.

  • Hairs: As rodents move about inside your home, they can contaminate shelves, dishes, cutting boards, stored food packages, and more. These hairs are a source of contamination because rodents often visit unsanitary environments.

  • Fires: When rodents chew on things in nature, they often grow back. If a rodent chews through a wire in your wall, it will not repair itself and could cause a fire.

  • Parasites: Rodents don't travel alone. They pick up ticks, fleas, and other parasites. As they move about in your house, they can drop these off.

Rodents belong outdoors. When they get inside, they won't respect your property or go outside to do their business. They're also strongly motivated to explore your home and find food. When they get into your pantry or kitchen, they'll make short work of food packaging. It is best to keep rodents out.

Professional Pest Control: The Most Effective Rodent Control Solution

Licensed pest control technicians can track and comprehend the behavior patterns of pest animals. At HomeShield Pest Control, we understand how wild rodents behave and use their behaviors to control them. Let's start on the inside of your house and work our way out:

  • Inspections: We use field-tested methods to locate rodent activity and evaluate conditions that promote infestations. Using our findings, we establish a plan customized to meet your specific challenges and vulnerabilities.

  • Exclusions: We check common entry points for warning signs and use professional-grade materials to block access. Doing so will keep new rodents from getting in as we remove rodents from interior environments.

  • Control Products: We use trusted products to collect rodents and remove them. The products are applied strategically to counteract the natural defensive behaviors rodents exhibit.

  • Bait: When exterior population control is needed, we install and manage tamper-resistant bait stations.

Professional rodent control in Vero Beach requires experience and specialized knowledge. Rats and mice are clever animals. If you attempt to address a rodent infestation on your own, you will likely find this out quickly. It is also quite likely you won't know they are there at first. You may catch a rodent or two and not hear another sound. But, have you heard the saying, quiet as a mouse? These little critters earned that reputation for a reason. Rats are quiet, too.

If mice or rats continue to actively live in your home, they can impact your health and damage your property. Contact HomeShield Pest Control for a professional solution to your rat or mouse problem.

Proactive Rodent Control: Preventing Infestations Before They Begin

We hope you found this article before rats and mice have had a chance to invade. If you have, you can take steps to proactively prevent a rodent infestation. Their behavior patterns will determine the methods you'll use. Here are our best recommendations:

  • Rodents are attracted to tight spaces and will explore them to see if they can find a cavity within. You can apply exclusions to keep them out. In most cases, a can of expanding foam is all you need. Search your exterior for gaps or cavities and fill them. Get all of them because rodents turn small holes into larger holes.

  • Other tight spaces rodents will exploit are gaps around exterior doors. Check your weather-proofing. If you have an opening that's letting cool air out of your home during the summer months, you have a gap large enough to entice a tiny mouse. It can chew a hole through weatherstripping and door sweeps faster than you can say, "Do you think a mouse can fit through that?"

  • Rodents follow their noses. If they smell a trash receptacle, they'll likely investigate to see if they can find a meal. Clean your containers to avoid attracting rodents.

  • Seeds are a dietary staple for rodents. Do you have bird feeders? If so, moving them away from your exterior is critical so rats and mice don't have a reason to hang out near your house.

  • Most rodents are exceptional climbers. They'll scale a tree, climb a pipe, or run across a power line. You can stop them by applying protective guards. A guard is an obstruction that rodents are unable to go around.

  • Rodents use ground clutter to move from one place to another. They feel with their whiskers and can move quickly even in pitch dark. Removing clutter from your yard can help deter rodents.

  • Rodents hide in secluded and dirty spaces. A void underneath your deck or home is a perfect hiding spot and location to build a nest. Use hardware cloth to create a barrier that will keep them out. When installing this barrier, insert the material at least a foot below the surface of the ground to prevent rodents from tunneling underneath.

  • Remove wood stored under your deck. Rats and mice are strongly attracted to wood clutter, which reminds them of their natural habitats. 

If wild rodents get inside and become house rodents, it is time to contact a pest management professional for assistance. Rodents make horrible guests and tricky pests to control. If you're in Vero Beach, contact HomeShield Pest Control for rodent control near you. We can help you get rodents out and keep them out.