DAMAGE RODENTS CAUSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA HOMES

When rodents get in, they're no big deal, right? After all, how much damage can a tiny little mouse or slightly larger rat do? The answer to this question may startle you. These small rodents are actually capable of doing quite a bit of damage if they find a way into your South Carolina home. Here's what you need to know:

The first way rodents will damage your home is by chewing their way inside. They may chew through window or door frames. They may chew through a door sweep. They may chew through an eave, soffit, or a softened piece of wood under your chimney flashing. But, whatever way they decide to chew their way into your home, there are a few ways this kind of damage can lead to other kinds of damage. 

When rodents create holes in your roof, roofline, or exterior walls, it can lead to:

• heat loss which will negatively affect your finances.
• rainwater getting into your walls; this can create mold and fungi issues which can lead to hospital bills and ongoing sickness.
• silverfish, centipedes, millipedes, carpenter ants, and a whole host of other household pests finding their way into your home through the holes.

Once inside your home, the damage doesn't stop. Mice, rats, and other home-invading rodents will tear up insulation and destroy other building materials in your attic spaces while constructing their nests. They may gnaw on stored boxes to get materials and potentially damage the stored items and valuable keepsakes inside.

If you have furniture in your attic or storage area, it could be a target for rodents. Mice and rats are drawn to furniture items and will create nests inside couches, loveseats, recliners, and other furniture. They'll also take up residence in stored appliances, especially stoves or refrigerators that have insulation inside.

Damage in your attic spaces won't be limited to what rodents can do with their strong, constantly-growing incisors. These animals defecate and urinate where they sleep, and everywhere else for that matter. That means you're going to have to deal with a mess in your attic, basement, or storage area that will be difficult and hazardous to clean. Rodent urine and feces can also soak into insulation and other materials and create a significant foul-smelling odor in your home.

If rodents go from your attic spaces to other locations in your home or travel up from your basement to explore your home, they're probably going to go through your wall voids. When they chew through the insulation inside your walls or chew holes through your sheetrock to gain access to your food-storage areas, they can chew through an electrical wire. This can to a house fire and even the loss of life. For this reason, it is important to never take a rodent infestation lightly.

When rodents get into storage areas, they can damage food packages and allow food to spill out onto the shelves and the floor. But the frustrating clean up is preferable to not seeing any sign that mice and rats have gotten into your food at all. According to the CDC, the diseases directly transmitted by rodents include Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Lassa fever, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, OMSK, plague, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and tularemia. All of these diseases have medical implications.

When mice and rats get into a home, they don't usually come alone. They often bring ticks, fleas, lice, mites, and other parasites with them. And each of these parasites presents their own issues. Out of all the parasites listed above, ticks are by far the most dangerous as they can spread human pathogens that can lead to lifelong medical complications.

In our service area, the rodents we see most often are house mice, Norway rats, and roof rats. While each of these rodents behaves slightly different, they all present the threats listed above. If you're seeing signs left by mice or rats, they should not be ignored. Rodents can cause a lot of damage. To ensure the complete removal of these intrusive animals, seek the assistance of a pest control professional!

For rodent control in Aiken and the surrounding area, you can trust Aiken Pest Control! Our team is QualityPro Certified which means we have earned national recognition as a pest control leader and proven excellence in business operations, environmental stewardship, consumer relations, employee education, and other key areas. 

Get started by scheduling a free inspection with us. We'll send a friendly and experienced pest control technician out to meet with you and inspect your home. When it comes to rodent infestations, don't settle for anything less; it's just not worth it when it comes to pest problems!