Why you should call the pros about rodents in your home

Common Rodents In The Los Angeles Area

Though there are many species of rodents in the area, the three types of rodents that most often invade homes are house mice, Norway rats, and roof rats. All of these pests prefer to live with humans or near human habitations and all are difficult to remove. Once they get used to the free shelter and crumbs of food, it is not easy to convince them to move back out into the wild.

• House Mice: These little creatures are around five inches long from nose to tail and they have pointy noses, beady black or pink eyes, small rounded ears, and long hairless tails. They come in a variety of colors but their underbellies are lighter in color than the rest of them. These rodents may be small but they are able to jump up to a foot straight up into the air! House mice are adept at squeezing into small holes (or chewing small holes larger) to get into homes.
• Norway Rats: These rats are big, fat, mangy-looking, and usually brown in color. If you hear someone talking about "brown rats" they are talking about Norway rats. In fact, if you hear people talking about sewer rats, street rats, wharf rats, or common rats, they are all talking about Norway rats! They are very good at causing problems in all sorts of environments. If you are seeing these rats around your home, it is likely that they have made a den under the ground somewhere just outside your structure. It is also likely that they are getting into your home—or trying to get in.
• Roof Rats: These rats are also called ship rats or house rats because they often get into these structures. Roof rats are usually black in color, have long, hairless, scaly tails, large ears and eyes, and pointed noses. They are smaller than Norway rats, measuring around 40 cm long, and are sleeker in appearance.

Why DIY Rodent Control Usually Fails

Have you ever tried to take care of a rodent infestation on your own and failed? You are not alone. There are many ways DIY rodent control will let you down.

• You may catch some rodents and think you have gotten them all, but they keep coming back! Without professional help, you will never know if you have gotten all of the rodents in your home. The ones that are left will keep reproducing and plaguing you, perhaps literally. Rodents are still known to spread the plague.
• You may catch all of the rodents in your home, but they still keep coming back! This will happen if you do not find and seal up all of the places where they are getting in. You could kill all the rodents inside your home but new rodents could keep coming in. It is an endless cycle.
• You may purchase top-of-the-line rodent traps and bait them with the best cheese, but not catch a single rodent. Catching rodents takes special knowledge of their habits and behaviors. Rodents often avoid things that have a human smell, and even if they do approach the trap, they are adept at stealing bait without setting it off. It can be maddening! It is also important to have a knowledge of effective rodent control methods and know the right baits to use and where to place traps.

The Best Rodent Protection For Los Angeles County

If you need help with rodents, it is important to partner with a pest professional for proven pest control solutions in Los Angeles first thing, before you waste time, effort, and money on DIY products and strategies that fail to get all the rodents. A professional will evaluate exterior attractants, seal entry points that are an issue, and put down tamper-resistant traps to cull rodent populations. The professionals also know rodent behaviors and habits as well as the best baits to use and just where to place traps.

If you live in Los Angeles County and you're having issues with rodents, contact HomeShield Pest Control for rodent control and exclusion services. Our licensed pest professionals will evaluate your home and put in place what is needed to get your home rodent-free and to keep it that way. Reach out to us today to get started with our rodent control service. We can help!