In the hustle and bustle of our normal everyday lives, there are things that we simply do not make time to get done. With the new year quickly approaching, now is a great time to get those projects crossed off of your to do list. One project that is on thousands of lists is to clean out the garage. The garage tends to be a place where people end up storing miscellaneous items. Holiday décor, Christmas trees, tools, bikes, clothes, and more seem to all find their way into the garage eventually. With everyone home to help for the holidays, right now seems like an amazing time to take everything out and organize your garage.
What are the Signs that Rodents are Present?
As you clean and organize your garage you may find that you have rodents that are living or have been living in your garage. The most common rodents that people find in their garage are rats and mice. The signs of these two rodents being in your garage are the same. You will notice droppings, an unusual odor, holes in materials or boxes, or scratching or scampering noises in your garage that you cannot explain. If you notice these things you likely have a rat or mice problem in your garage. The first thing that you should do is see if you are dealing with rats or mice. The products and methods used to get rid of these two rodents are not the same. Knowing what you are dealing with gives you the best chance of success. Following are some things that you will want to look for.
• Rats: Rats are larger than mice. On average they weigh around 16 ounces. They can get larger than that though if they have used your garage as a place for food and shelter for very long. Rats have a thicker, hairless, scaly tail. Rat droppings are larger than mic droppings. Rat droppings are ¾ inch long with blunt ends.
• Mice: Mice are more commonly found in homes than rats. They are smaller than rats. They have pointier noses than rats. Mice droppings are about ¼ of an inch long and have pointed ends.
Will Decluttering Get Rid of Mice?
Next you will want to work on getting rid of any mice or rats that you may have. The good news you are already working on the first step. The first step is for you to clean out your garage. Thoroughly cleaning your garage and getting rid of places where they were living is an important step. You will want to get rid of excess clutter; throw all trash in the garbage; and store any food items, human or pet, in containers with lids. Doing all of this will help you prevent them from having a place to live or anything to eat. Without food and shelter they will not want to stay in your garage.
Mouse & Rat Rodent Pest Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal & More in Wellington, Fort Collins, Timnath, Greeley, Longmont, Boulder, Johnstown, Berthoud, Estes Park & Loveland, CO | Northern Colorado
After you have completed the first step you can try some DIY methods of getting rid of the rodents. Most of the time homeowners that try to take care of it themselves are not successful because of the rapid reproduction rate of mats and rice. Using a professional like Effective Pest Services is much more successful in fully getting rid of your rodent infestation. Give us a call today!