The Greater Toronto Area is a highly populated area, home to over 6.4 million people. With this large population, it’s easy to see how mice and rat infestations can be incredibly common within the city and its surrounding areas. As the third largest city in the GTA, Brampton can be a tempting target for rodents who flock to densely inhabited areas in a bid for easier access to food and shelter. Cellars, attics, storage rooms, pantries, and other dark or underutilized areas of the home are preferential living and breeding grounds for rats and mice.
Rodents in Brampton and the Surrounding Areas
Rats and Mice
Most people associate the word rodent with either rats or mice, though there are a wide variety of rodents ranging from chipmunks to groundhogs which make their homes in Southern Ontario alone. The two most commonly found rodents in the GTA, however, are the Norway Rat and the House Mouse. Both of these species are adept at squeezing into tiny places; with collapsible cartilage, rats can squeeze their way through holes the size of a quarter, while mice require even less than the size of a dime. So, while it may appear that your home is sealed up tight to prevent any pests from entering, even the smallest of spaces are viable entry points for any variety of rodents.
Know the Signs
Detecting a possible rodent infestation can be quite simple if you know what to look for. Certain sounds, smells, and sights, when combined, can lead to a simple conclusion. For instance, due to the nocturnal nature of rats and mice, it is typical to hear signs of activity during the night. Climbing, scratching, and the patter of paws within the walls, as well as squeaking sounds, are the most obvious indicators. Additionally, when rats or mice have infested a home and are dwelling close to the family’s living area, it may be quite noticeable, thanks to the pungent smell of their lairs. And perhaps the most obvious of signs may be visual; rat or mouse droppings in the kitchen near food storages, gnawed wood or baseboards.
These signs may become even more prevalent if you have a family pet, as dogs and cats can be sensitive to the smells or sounds made by rodents, ever alert to their presence. Should your pet seem overly interested in a certain spot on a wall or cupboard, it may be that a family of rodents has made a nest in the area. Lastly, should you see a rat or mouse in your home, it means the likelihood of infestation is quite high.
Damage and Dangers
A rodent infestation can cause damage on both a proprietary scale and to one’s constitution. In the superficial sense, rodents are known for gnawing on everything – most specifically rats. This is actually due to the fact that, throughout their lifespan, their teeth continue to grow and in order to “file them down” so to speak, they will chew on things. Though this is essentially a simple part of nature, it doesn’t make it any less of a nuisance. Rats will chew through wires, gnaw on wooden baseboards or table legs, bite at the bottom of cupboards; virtually anything they can get their mouths on. Needless to say, this damage adds up fast.
In terms of physical health, however, it’s another subject entirely. Rodents are notorious “plague bearers”, believed to be carriers of disease and rabies. It’s said that rodents are the worst type of pest to have in the home, and it’s no wonder. Rodents can transmit rickettsia, leptospirosis, eosinophilic meningitis, and salmonella-related illnesses to humans, among other sicknesses.
Control and Removal
There are many steps to take into account when approaching the removal of a rodent lair from a home. While extracting the rodents is a relatively simple task, it is important to remember that determining their initial point of access is crucial. Should you fail to take this into consideration and close up any possible entry points, their colony will simply return to resettle and build a new lair.
Bearing this in mind, there are many different ways a rodent can gain entry into a home – from a warped floorboard to a simple crack within a foundation or exterior wall. A careful inspection of the house’s exterior is imperative for finding any breaches to close up, thereby preventing reentry. Typically, sealing these entry points with caulking or other sealants will prevent them from returning, but if the holes or cracks are larger, further repair may be necessary.
We at North Star Pest Control in Brampton pride ourselves on our humane pest control and wildlife removal/management procedures, and as such, we use methods for extraction such as holding traps.
Efficient Control and Prevention Services
Particularly for recurring issues, it is sometimes essential to install rat walls and other barriers for permanent elimination from certain spots. It is our mission to ensure all entry points are sealed, preventing continuous infestation issues.
North Star Pest Control’s technicians have the knowledge and experience to efficiently bait, trap and extract rats, mice, and other rodents from a home or business. Call 416-540-2694 today to schedule an appointment or to discover solutions to your rodent infestation issues.
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