Our instinctual fear of rodents is founded on some pretty good reasons. For one thing, the types of rodents that invade homes carry dangerous diseases that can be transferred to a home’s occupants through urine, feces, bites, contact with the rodent, and sometimes even air particles. Some of these diseases are more concerning than others, and these are unique to the different rodents.
Pest control in Tampa is the best way to take care of your rodent problem without putting yourself and others at risk of disease. To learn more about Florida rodents, how they can make you sick, DIY rodent control, and how to get rid of rodents in Tampa for good, continue reading.
The Types Of Rodents That Invade Tampa Homes
Domestic rodents in Tampa come in a few different shapes and sizes. The first and smallest of these different rodents is the house mouse. House mice can grow to around 3¾ inches long with a tail about the length of their bodies. They are round with large ears, dusty gray fur, and cream-colored bellies. While they prefer grains, house mice will eat just about anything available, including the bugs off of your sticky traps.
The second of the Florida rodents is the Norway rat. At over nine inches long, the Norway rat is a capable runner, climber, and swimmer. They are usually brown with black hairs and a gray or white belly. Their tails are shorter than the length of their bodies, and they have small ears and a blunt muzzle.
They prefer to live close to the ground floor, meaning they are frequently found in basements and sewers. Preferring meat, fish, and cereal, Norway rats can eat just about anything and can chew through a variety of materials, including brick and concrete.
Finally, the roof rat is another of the domestic rodents found in Tampa. At around 6 to 8 inches in body length with a 6 to 8-inch tail, they are fairly long. With larger ears and eyes than the Norway rat and softer fur, they may seem less threatening, but fleas spread via roof rats were the primary transmitters of the bubonic plague and are still infecting people with plague today. They can also spread the same diseases as the Norway rat and are as capable of chewing through your home to get indoors.
The Different Ways Rodents Can Make You Sick
Disease transmission when you have rats in your house can occur in a few different ways. If you, your water, or your food comes into contact with rat feces, urine, or saliva, you could be susceptible to rat-bite fever, jaundice, and other food-borne illnesses like salmonellosis and trichinosis.
Through fleas and other disease vectors they carry inside, you could be vulnerable to plague and typhus. Some of these diseases can be transferred through contact with a corpse, making it essential that you do not handle pest control and corpse removal on your own.
Why Do-It-Yourself Rodent Control So Often Fails
Rodents have been evolving with human civilization for thousands of years; therefore, they adapt easily to our traps. Not only are they unlikely to fall for the same traps over and over again, but they reproduce quickly, and with some types of rodents their large family units can replenish their lost numbers in a matter of weeks. This is why professional pest control is a better option. While traps are a great way to keep numbers down, they aren’t a permanent solution.
In addition, over-the-counter poisons are not only ineffective, but they are dangerous to your household and your pets. Many poisons are not immediately effective, meaning you could have rodents dying in hard-to-reach places in your home, attracting other even more dangerous pests like botflies and maggots. Not to mention, handling poisons yourself can put you and your family members at risk of serious health side effects.
The Rodent Control Experts To Call
To get rid of rodents for good, you can trust Haskell Termite & Pest Control. Rather than relying on a few store-bought traps that may or may not catch a mouse, let our pest control professionals at Haskell Termite & Pest Control create an effective and comprehensive bait and trap system that will draw in and eliminate any rodents in the household without giving them a chance to recover.
Not only can we exterminate existing rodents, but we can assess your home for risk factors that allow them inside and help you fortify your home against them in the future. Don’t risk your health, nor waste your time and money with DIY traps. Call Haskell Termite & Pest Control today to get a free inspection.
Customer Reviews
Efficient, effective and trustworthy. After using them, I paid the annual insurance in case the drywood termites came back. When they did come back, Haskell promptly re-tented the house - no arguing, no cost to me.
