Too many homeowners mistakenly believe winter is the only time houses are susceptible to invasion by rodents. While it’s true that, during the colder months, mice and rats head indoors in search of warmth, shelter, and food, summer finds the same pests trying to escape the heat. The timing couldn’t be worse. In addition to carrying up to thirty-five diseases which can be transmitted to humans, rodents can also carry fleas and ticks, meaning mice or rats that make nests in your home this summer could also bring another pest into your home, come flea season this fall.
Too often, pest control efforts for fleas in the tri-state area go no further than putting flea collars on cats and dogs. Fleas seeking to escape the dropping temperatures of autumn, however, do not limit themselves to pets. In fact, they frequently find warmth in animal burrows. In the case of flea-carrying rodents, their home might be your home. This means an ignored rodent problem or botched do-it-yourself solution will only compound itself in the fall and winter.
Solving a rodent infestation – and subsequent flea problem – might seem as simple as setting a few mousetraps. However, rodents are excellent problem solvers that can find ways around traps, and traps do nothing to remove the nests, where fleas reside. If you discover a rodent nest do not attempt to remove nests on your own, as disturbing a nest also disturbs the fleas within, subjecting you and your family to itchy bites. Nests also contain bacteria, which can become airborne, when the nest is disturbed. The experts from Masters Pest Control know how to identify accessible rodent nesting and feeding areas, eliminate infestations, and provide the determined effort often necessary to resolve a rodent and flea problem. Click here to learn more about rodents. Click here to learn more about fleas.
Because of the difficulties associated with combating rodent infestation, it’s best to take preventative measures. Moving woodpiles, which attract mice, away from the home, sealing even the smallest of cracks and holes in walls and doors, and keeping food in airtight containers can all keep rodents from flocking to your home – and fleas from hitching a ride!