Merrimac, Massachusetts, is beautiful this time of year. The scenery is picturesque, with the leaves in the trees showing off their vibrant colors. The intense heat of the summer is replaced with a crispness in the air signaling colder temperatures to come. However, with this cold comes a problem that many home and business owners know all too well: the invasion of rodents.
These little critters may look cute and fuzzy, but they are a danger to your Merrimac home. All types of rodents, especially rats, mice, and squirrels, pose various problems if they manage to gain access to the inside of your dwelling.
Rodent Characteristics And Dangers
Each of these small Merrimac pests come with their own package of vexation and destruction. Here are some facts about a few different types of rodents to get to know them a little bit better:
- Mice: The average mouse size is 5-8 of an inch long with a 2-4 inch tail. They weigh approximately 1/2 to 1 ounce, allowing them to fit into areas the diameter of a pencil. They will eat most foods that you eat and prefer to nest in dark, quiet spaces. A single female house mouse can birth up to 56 offspring per year. You do not want this occurring under your roof. Although cute, they are known to carry over 35 different diseases that can spread to humans through bite wounds and can cause significant damage to your home and contaminate food.
- Squirrels: Their average size is 8-20 inches long and weighs 2/3 to 1 1/2 pounds. A squirrel's diet consists primarily of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, and seeds. They search for places, like your home, to hoard them for the winter months. They will cause major damage by chewing insulation or electrical wires, costing you major dollars to repair. Their teeth never stop growing, so they must continually chew things to keep their teeth filed down.
- Rats: Rat numbers in Merrimac have exploded during the past few years. Their average size is 7-10 inches long with a 6-8 inch tail, and they weigh 7-18 oz. Rats prefer to eat cereal grains, meats, fish, and nuts. Common signs of rat damage include 2-inch holes in food packaging, chewed wires, and toothmarks in wood. The diseases that rats can transmit to humans include bubonic plague, leptospirosis, hemorrhagic fever, murine typhus, and salmonella. These fellas don't' mess around.
Rodents are all dirty, nasty creatures that procreate rapidly and leave behind a myriad of waste. In the end, it's best to be proactive when it comes to rodent control.
Preventing A Rodent Infestation In Your Merrimac Home
The best way to deal with a rodent infestation is to not allow it to happen in the first place. These beady-eyed creatures all have a long history of human dependency, so here are several things you can do to try to keep your home from looking attractive to these pests:
- Sealing up holes inside and outside of your home to prevent their entry
- Removing food and water sources that may attract them
- Properly storing food in airtight containers
- Cleaning and removing trash and debris
- Recurring professional guidance from local experts
Despite all of your efforts to eliminate rodents from your home, you may still find yourself dealing with a rodent problem. In the end, it's best to reach out to a professional.
Freedom Pest Control Will Handle Your Rodent Problem
Between all the diseases and physical harm these varmints can cause, it is not a good idea to try and tackle an infestation on your own unless you already have some experience with both the behaviors and removal of different types of rodents. The most effective way to get rid of rodents is to contact the professionals at Freedom Pest Control. We have been eliminating rodent infestations for over 25 years and can return your home to the safe abode it once was before these unwelcomed visitors moved in.
At Freedom Pest Control, we can offer a pest removal plan to suit your needs. Our Gold Protection Plan provides comprehensive, year-round pest protection against the most common pests, including all those pesky rodents. Among the benefits included in this plan are:
- Year-Round Protection
- Spring and Fall Barrier
- Foundation Treatment
- Free Multi-Pest Inspection
- Emergency Visits & Much More
Reach out to us today, so we can help solve your Merrimac, MA rodent problem once and for all.