Baltimore, MD residents should know all about effective rodent prevention, or else their properties will fall prey to mice and rats. Rodents infestation are common throughout Maryland, and if you aren’t careful, they are certain to nest in your home or business. As the weather cools down and the fall weather sets in, rodent problems are likely to skyrocket. A rodent infestation can harm your health, your sense of safety, and your enjoyment of beautiful Baltimore. Before that happens, let’s explore the different rodents common to the area, and then talk about ways to prevent them from getting inside.
Rodent Identification Guide For Baltimore Homeowners
The rodent family includes rabbits, squirrels, and beavers, but there are two rodent species every homeowner should worry about: mice and rats. These two pests are easily confused, but they each have distinct traits.
Mice
Mice are a common pet for certain families, and also a common pest. These rodents are smaller than rats and vary more in size and color. The most common mice in Baltimore are deer mice and house mice. Deer mice are grayish-brown, slender rodents with larger ears, while house mice are brown, black, gray, or white, and have smaller ears.
Rats
Rats also vary in size and color. There are a few different rat species common to Baltimore, but chief among them are the Norway rat and the roof rat. Norway rats grow to around 11 inches in length, have muddy brown coats, and are fairly rounded compared to other rats. Roof rats, by contrast, only grow to about 5-7 inches and are much darker and pointier than their Norwegian counterparts.
Each of these pests can bring serious house damage in with them. Rodents will nest in your home’s foundation and chew through anything they find. Rats and mice rely on properties like yours to feed their young and build their nests, damaging wood paneling, pipes, and insulation. These pests will also chew through wires, and an infestation could force you to hire a costly electrician if the nest isn’t removed fast.
How Rodents Spread Disease
Rodents cause problems both by creating household damage and by spreading disease. No matter the size or species, rats and mice are vectors to diseases such as Leptospira, Bartonella, Salmonella, Hantavirus, and the Bubonic Plague.
These pathogens are spread in the following ways:
- Eating your food: If a rodent can get in your pantry, it will potentially contaminate your entire food supply.
- Urine and feces: Rodents leave their droppings wherever they walk, making your entire property a potential hazard.
- Walking around: Rodents spread disease simply by existing on your property. The longer they remain in your house, the greater the risk of infection.
How To Keep Rodents Out In Baltimore
How do you keep rodents out? Your best bet is to make your house as unattractive to pests as possible. Rodents are primarily attracted to two things: clutter and food. If your house has a lot of junk or mess, including piles of clothes, junk, or trash, rodents might camp out and start their nests there. If they have access to the trash or the pantry, there’s an even greater incentive to move in.
Despite these prevention efforts, rodents can still make their way in. Because they can fit into tiny holes, and because they reproduce so quickly, mice and rats can easily infest homes in Baltimore. A rodent population will certainly grow faster than you can get rid of them, and poisons or traps will never act quickly enough.
If you find that a rodent has made its nest in your home, don’t try to take matters into your own hands, DIY options often make the problem worse. Instead, reach out to the experts at Phenom Pest Protection for our prevention and treatment plans and we’ll make sure these furry pests never spread diseases through your house again.
