Rodents like mice and rats prefer to be warm than cold. Thus, when it gets colder outside, they start to take up residences in homes and other buildings. Rats squeeze themselves into small holes, cracks, and gaps as small as half an inch while mice only need a quarter of an inch opening to enter homes. And both rodents can chew and gnaw at tiny holes, so they can wiggle through. Rats can also invade homes through drains because of their ability to swim through sewers. Once they are inside your house and can find water and food, they may stay there for good and increase their population. Because of this, you want to take steps to prevent a mouse or rodent infestation in your house. This is possible with proactive residential pest control Escondido. Read on to know what rice and mice will do while taking up residence in your house:
They Increase their Population
Rodents are productive breeders, which means they can quickly build and grow their populations. This can happen in homes where these rodents can secure sufficient food, shelter, and water.
In a year, rats can have up to seven litters, with each of them having up to 14 young. These young rats can fully grow in around four weeks. Meanwhile, mice can have ten litters in one year with around six young in every litter.
They Create Nests
Rodents create nice, comfortable nests for their babies. Thus, they will look for materials such as clothes, old newspapers, and fabric to make their nests. Also, they can chew on your electrical wiring, insulation, and drywall for this purpose, causing serious damage to the house and even fire.
Find Food
Once inside, rodents will roam your house to find food before or after they make their nests. As they roam, they will drop their feces and urinate along the way. They can invade your pantry and walk on foods and packaging. This means that you could end up touching their urine trail. Mice and rats have sharp teeth and can chew through tough boxes and bags to get food. Unfortunately, rats can contaminate your food this way, causing a lot of diseases such as salmonellosis, hemorrhagic fever, pulmonary syndrome, and hantavirus.
Look for a Source of Water
Rodents drink water to survive. While they can get water from some food, they will look for free-standing water. They might drink the water in your pet’s water bowl, water from a leaky faucet, or water outside your house.
