Did you find this article because a rodent darted out behind the furniture? Or, were you sitting in your easy chair relaxing when you heard scratching inside the walls, underneath the floor, or in the ceiling? Perhaps you keep finding droppings on the countertops or along the baseboards. Whatever the situation, you found this article because you have rodents in your house. 

When you have rodents in your home, partner with a company that offers rodent control in Plano: All-Safe Pest & Termite. We have grown to become the largest independent pest control company in the area since our humble beginnings in 1984. Our guaranteed services use products with low toxicity that are safe for pets and family members. We are an award-winning, family-owned company with thousands of five-star reviews from decades of satisfied customers. You cannot go wrong with All-Safe Pest & Termite.

The Kinds Of Rodents That Invade Plano Properties

What is a rodent? Are rodents different from wildlife, or do they overlap? Let's define what a rodent is before we discuss the types of rodents that infest Plano homes. Rodents are furry, warm-blooded animals with four legs, two eyes and ears, and a tail. You can apply that basic description to your dog or cat, and we know they are not rodents, so what is the distinguishing feature? 

What makes an animal a rodent is a pair of upper and lower constantly-growing incisor teeth. Rodents use these teeth to cut through roots, wood, nuts, and other items that impede their access to food, water, or shelter. Many rodents classify as wildlife (e.g., squirrels, beavers, voles, gophers, and porcupines.) because they prefer to live away from people in trees, rivers, and underground tunnels. A few rodents are domesticated (e.g., hamsters and gerbils) and are content to live inside cages where they entertain children and science students. However, rats and mice lay between the wildlife and domesticated categories; they are the rodents that give Plano homeowners trouble. 

Now that we have a general description of rodents, and since we know that rats and mice are problematic in Plano homes, let's look at these Texas rodents in detail. The following are the two rat and mice species that infest many Plano homes:

• House mice
• Roof rats

Although they are similar in many ways, you can tell them apart if you know what to look for. 

Originating in Central South Asia, house mice are the most common rodent species inside many Plano homes. These rodents have 2 1/2 to 3 3/4-inch round bodies covered with dusty grey or light brown hairs on the topside and a cream-colored belly. House mice have large ears, a pointed muzzle, and a 2 3/4 to 4-inch tail. 

House mice can live outside but prefer living inside homes in dark, secluded areas. Once they find a suitable location, they create nests from insulation, fabrics, paper products, and cotton. House mice are social creatures, which means they live with other mice in hierarchical colonies typically led by a dominating male mouse. House mice are territorial; they act aggressively toward strangers within four to five feet of their nest.

Roof rats are the other common invader of Plano homes. Known as black rats or ship rats, these rodents, like house mice, hail from Asia but from the Southeastern part of the continent. Roof rats are so-named because they tend to find shelter in the upper levels of buildings and homes. Like house mice, roof rats are social creatures and forage in groups of ten at night and stay within about 120 feet of their nest. Unlike house mice, roof rats are not curious creatures; they do not look for new feeding opportunities once they find a source.

In addition to its nesting habits, an easy way to distinguish between a roof rat and a house mouse is body size. Roof rats have a 6 to 8-inch long, thin body (not including the additional 6 to 8-inch scaly tail) covered with brown fur interspersed with black hairs on the topside. The underside of a roof rat varies between white, black, or grey. Like house mice, roof rats have large ears and eyes.

All-Safe Pest & Termite provides the best rodent control near me for both kinds of rodents. Our technicians know the signs of a rodent infestation and can determine the rodent species invading your property.

Rodent Infestations Are A Major Health Risk

Whatever type of rodent infests your Plano home doesn't matter because both affect your health. Roof rats and house mice forage for food in drains, sewers, trash, compost piles, and in other unsanitary locations. Bacteria and viruses stick to their oil fur as they travel through these areas. Because neither rodent has good eyesight, they bump against items as they move through homes and leave grease marks filled with these pathogenic organisms. 

In addition to bacteria and viruses, rodents carry fleas, ticks, mites, and lice into homes. These parasitic insects and arachnids jump, quest, or crawl onto the rodents as they move through polluted areas foraging for food. When the animals invade your house, they bring their hitchhiking friends that disembark and wait for a host so they can enjoy a blood meal at your expense. 

Another way rats and mice is through their urine, feces, and saliva. Roof rats eat American and brown cockroaches and whatever else they can find. When they eat these disease-infested insects and other polluted plant and organic material, they stay in their bodies until they leave through urine, fecal matter, and saliva. When they travel through a house, they deposit these disease-causing organisms as they defecate in cabinets, on eating and cooking surfaces, clothing, and other items. Remember, rodents must constantly gnaw to trim their ever-growing incisor teeth. They coat plastic and glass containers, wood, thin metals, and other items with their disease-infested saliva when they chew on them. 

Leptospirosis, tularemia, and salmonellosis are diseases spread to people by rats and mice. Some illnesses, like lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), are transmitted only by house mice, while rat-bite fever, jaundice, cowpox virus, and trichinosis are additional infections spread by roof rats. As if the possibility of contracting one of these ailments wasn't enough, their hitchhiking buddies infect people with murine typhus, tungiasis, bartonellosis, tapeworms, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and much more. Manifestations of these diseases range from body aches, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and other flu-like symptoms to conditions requiring professional medical attention. 

Rodents not only spread disease, but they can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. When their fecal matter dries, particles flake away and become airborne and circulate through the house. When children, older, and those with allergy sensitivities inhale these particulates, they may experience coughing, difficulty breathing, a runny nose, itching or red eyes, and other asthmatic or allergic reactions.

All-Safe Pest & Termite protects your family from health risks caused by rodents by providing effective rodent control in Plano. 

Simple Rodent Exclusion Tips For Around The Property

It doesn't take much space for a rodent to enter a house. Roof rats and mice need an opening only the size of a nickel to enter your home. Once they find food, water, and shelter, they urinate along the pathway from the entry point to the sources. Pheromones in the urine communicate to other mice or rats where to find the access point, food, water, and shelter.  

So, these rodent prevention tips will deter rodents from staying on your property and entering your house:

• Remove rotting fruit and animal feces from the lawn
• Eliminate overgrowth, debris, and items that hold water in the yard
• Prune tree branches and shrubs away from the house
• Seal gaps between incoming pipes and wires
• Close cracks in the foundation, roofline, and around window and door frames
• Install door sweeps under exterior doors
• Repair holes in window and door screens
• Place wire mesh over the crawlspace and attic vent openings 

When an All-Safe Pest & Termite inspects your Plano property for rodent pest control, we can provide additional suggestions for your location. 

The Key To Total Rodent Control For Plano Properties

The safest and best way to end a rodent infestation is to secure rodent control near you from All-Safe Pest & Termite. We will dispatch a trained technician to inspect your Plano property for signs of rodents, entry points, attractants, and hot spots. If we determine rodents are the source of your problem, we will install traps in the attic and garage. We will place a bait station near the exterior air conditioning unit and other areas where our investigation reveals rodent activity. To prevent more rodents from entering your house, we will seal ground-level entry points with materials impenetrable by sharp rodent teeth. 

Starting the following week, we will return to inspect the traps, clear them of rodents and reset them. We will continue our weekly service until we end the rodent infestation. If a rodent triggers a trap between visits, we will return to clear the snare and reset it when notified. Contact us today to schedule a service and get a free estimate.

Had my initial setup and install today, and everything went very well! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Feel so much better after making the switch to All-Safe!!

K. Cloud

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