Mice can be cute little critters, but they’re a lot less adorable when scampering around your kitchen and getting into your food. You can set traps, but when it comes to infestation, you need to call the professionals. Kanga Pest Control is here for all your Portland pest control needs.

Common Types of Rodent That Invade Portland Homes

There are two types of rodents that you might see in your Portland home: rats and mice.

House mice are common in residential homes. Their bodies are only 2 ½ to 3 ¾ inches long (not including the tail), and they tend to be dusty gray in color.

Deer mice are less common in urban areas but are often seen near wooded areas and in vacation homes. They can also be a problem in farming communities, sheds, or other outbuildings. These mice are easily identifiable by their bicolored tails, which are usually white and brown.

Rats are distinguished from mice by their longer bodies. Mice tend to be round-ish.

One of the most evident and common signs of a rodent infestation is damage to items in your home, especially food containers. Tooth marks in boxes or bags, spilled food, and footprints are all indicators of a rodent infestation. You might also see mouse or rat droppings. And, of course, seeing an actual mouse or rat is a sure sign that they’re living in your home.

Rodents Around Your Home Can Spread Disease And Cause Damage

Mice and rats will chew through almost anything. Cardboard boxes, electronic wires, and even parts of your home. They like to live in small spaces, so they’ll squeeze into a gap in the wall or a storage box. But beyond the damage to your home and belongings, rodents can and will spread diseases.

Rats are carriers of jaundice, cowpox, and salmonella. They also carry fleas, and fleas can bring diseases. House mice also spread salmonella and can have fleas, ticks, and lice. You definitely don’t want any of those pests in your home. Deer mice are the most dangerous because they can be carriers of a virus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This virus spreads through the air, which means you can catch it just by breathing in the same room as an infected deer mouse.

Four Practical Rodent Exclusion Tips For Around Your Home

So what can you do about a rodent infestation? As with many other pests, it’s easier to exclude them from your home rather than get them out.

1. Seal any gaps and holes larger than a dime. Rodents love small spaces, and they’ll squeeze themselves into the tightest place they can. So go around your house, find any spot that could house a mouse, and close it. A good way to estimate the size is with a dime. If you couldn’t fit a dime through, it’s probably too small for a mouse.
2. Store boxes off the floor and remove clutter. Remember that rodents like to hide. If they can’t get into your walls anymore, they’ll try to live in boxes or underneath piles on the floor. By keeping areas clear, you take away a lot of potential rodent hiding spots.
3. Store food in sealed containers. Most mice prefer grain-based foods, but they’ll eat about anything they can. You can keep them from sharing your food by putting everything you can into plastic or glass containers. Putting as much as possible into the refrigerator or freezer also keeps mice out.
4. Keep shrubbery trimmed back. If you have bushes or other plants, keeping them pruned takes away another potential rodent hiding spot. Keeping your yard as open as possible prevents mice and rats from living there and gaining access to your house.

Even with all these ways to prevent a rodent infestation, it can still be hard to get rid of one. These tips are a great place to start, but they aren’t always enough for a severe infestation.

The Most Effective Rodent Control For Your Home

Okay, so you know how to prevent a rodent infestation. But what do you do if rodents are already there? You have a few options. You can find a peppermint oil for rodents treatment, which blocks the smell of other food. You can set traps out. But the most effective way to fix a rodent infestation is to call a professional. The pest control professionals at Kanga Pest Control are experts at keeping pests out of your home. Rather than set a few traps and hope you get them all, you can count on us to solve the problem and keep the pests from returning. We’ll come and do an inspection and assess the infestation, and we’ll find the most effective way to keep your house rodent free. Call today for a free estimate or to learn about our competitive pricing.