Rodents

Need help controlling your rodent problem?
The Pest Management Professionals at University Termite & Pest Control are highly trained in today’s most up-to-date treatment methods. We pride ourselves on our family-friendly rodent control. We attack pests, not pets or children. If you have any concerns about allergies or chemical sensitivities, please speak with our representative when you make your appointment. He or she will answer all your questions about our insect exterminating process.
We invite you to call us today for more information or to make an appointment. If you are ready to banish your rodents for good, call University Termite & Pest Control:
Tucson: 520-886-4146
RODENTS
Rodents are small, gnawing mammals that have a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge in both jaws. The word “rodent” means to gnaw. It’s an appropriate name for these critters who keep their incisors sharp by constantly gnawing on various objects! They have been sharing our food and shelter for ages, and from a public health perspective, have been responsible for the spread of many diseases, including hanta viruses. Sanitation and rodent control efforts, however, have reduced this disease threat. They can also be considered an economic threat as their urine and feces contaminate food stores, and their gnawing activity can cause structural damage.
Mice
Mouse
The house mouse is the most common rodent pest in most parts of the world. It can breed rapidly and adapt quickly to changing conditions. Mice can gain entry to a home through a hole the size of a quarter, and once they gain entry, they love to gnaw on and destroy materials and eat stored food products. They are social and inquisitive by nature, and love to explore anything new. As cute as they may be, mice are considered a nuisance pest because of their importance as disease carriers and can potentially bring fleas, mites, ticks, and lice into your home. Additionally, micro droplets of mouse urine can cause allergies in children. Successful mice control includes a program of sanitation, harborage elimination and sealing any entry points. Remember, if you can fit something as small as a pencil through an opening, a mouse can get inside.
Norway Rats
Rat
Good rodent control starts with inspections, plain and simple. This includes looking for any of these signs of infestation: gnaw marks, droppings, burrows, damaged goods and active runways. Once properly identified, control requires the removal of food and water sources through sanitation, as well as sealing of any entry points, making it difficult for a rodent to gain access to
Pack Rats
Pack Rat
In Arizona, pack rats live primarily in the desert under fallen cactus and debris piles. They will burrow under a cactus (usually prickly pear or cholla) killing the roots, causing the cactus to collapse above them. This creates a prickly armored home that is relatively safe from mammal and bird predators.
Packrats have the peculiar habit of “trading” for interesting things that they find in their travels. If they find a coin, piece of pottery or a button, they will pick it up but leave something in return, like a twig or acorn. Most likely, it is more out of practicality. They are carrying something already, see something different and drop what they have to get their new treasure—trading up. Paleontologists make it part of their research to explore packrat nests, which may survive for generations, to find out about human history, collecting artifacts dating back to before the civil war.
Problems occur as humans move into packrat habitat. As we have expanded into the desert areas, we have encroached on their habitat creating new opportunities for these highly adaptable rodents. Parked cars and motor homes have a number of well protected cavities already suitable for nesting. These areas are cluttered with insulation and wires, closely resembling the nests that the rats would build for themselves. The wires are similar to roots, which they would naturally gnaw to make space, to use for nesting material and to “kill the cactus” or in this case your vehicle. They will even carry cactus pieces up into the engine compartment, trunk or passenger compartment to make it more homey. Crawl spaces, attic spaces, cluttered garages and sheds also create nesting areas.
Roof Rats
Roof Rat
The roof rat is smaller than the Norway rat, and are Southeast Asian in origin. Also known as the black rat, ship rat, grey-bellied rat, or the white-bellied rat, this species is thought to have arrived in North America in the early 1500’s along with the earliest explorers of Florida. Adults usually weigh 5-9 ounces, and have grayish-black to solid black fur, with a white, gray, or black belly. Unlike the Norway rat, the roof rat has a more difficult time thriving in cooler temperatures, and is more readily found in the more tropical regions of the United States, and are the dominant species found in some of our major coastal cities, such as Seattle and Miami. The roof rat is an excellent climber, and is well-named because of its preference to nest above ground in roof areas. They prefer a diet of fruits, nuts, and plants, but will eat most anything available.
Good rodent control starts with inspections, plain and simple. This includes looking for any of these signs of infestation: gnaw marks, droppings, burrows, damaged goods and active runways. Once properly identified, control requires the removal of food and water sources through sanitation, as well as sealing of any entry points, making it difficult for a rodent to gain access to your home.
Sewer Rats
The sewer rat, also known as the Norway rat, house rat, brown rat, and gray rat, was introduced to the North America by European settlers in the late 1700′s. It is now the most common rat species found in the United States. It is a stocky, burrowing rodent (weighing an average of 1 pound), and is stronger and more aggressive than other rat species. The fur is course, and is usually reddish-brown or reddish-gray in color. They are an important commensal rodent, meaning they live in close association with people. Sewer rats will eat almost anything, but prefer cereal, meats, fish and fruits, with most feedings taking place at night. Once a regular source of food is established, sewer rats will tend to follow the same path between their nest and food. This rodent species prefers to stay close to the ground, but will climb when necessary to find food and water. Sewer rats have very poor eyesight, but make up for this deficiency with keen senses of smell, taste, touch and hearing.
Good rodent control starts with inspections, plain and simple. This includes looking for any of these signs of infestation: gnaw marks, droppings, burrows, damaged goods and active runways. Once properly identified, control requires the removal of food and water sources through sanitation, as well as sealing of any entry points, making it difficult for a rodent to gain access to your home.
ARE YOU PROTECTED?
If you believe you have a problem with rodents around your home, call University Termite & Pest Control and have one of their professionals come over and take a look. They have the skill and knowledge to identify them and make a correct diagnosis the first time, every time.
University Termite & Pest Control, The Ones Who Know…