By LJ at ER Pest and Termite
Homeowners who live in San Bernardino County usually spend their days worrying about a variety of things. When thinking about home repairs, they probably consider leaky roofs, malfunctioning air conditioning units, higher-than-normal electric bills, and plumbing issues that end up costing hundreds of dollars. However, there is another type of pest that could potentially cost Property owners Thousands of dollars per year. Since this issue is so quiet, many San Bernardino County homeowners don’t even know they have a problem by the time it has caused massive amounts of damage. This issue is a rodent infestation.
Rats and mice are not just a nuisance; they are very destructive animals. If given the opportunity, they can destroy electrical wires, leave feces in food, bring disease-ridden bacteria into homes, and create structural issues within a home. In a city such as San Bernardino, which has both a rural landscape and densely populated cities, rodents have many ways to find themselves inside homes and businesses. They look for food, water and shelter, once they have made it inside, they reproduce extremely fast and can cause a great deal of financial harm. A relatively small problem can quickly grow into a huge bill for many homeowners. Have a vermin infestation now?
The Vermin Problem Nobody Talks About Until It Is Too Late
The vermin problem that no one talks about is related to rodents and specifically roof rats. The climate in Southern California allows rodents to stay active nearly year-round. Roof rats enter gaps as tiny as a dime or quarter and start living in your attic and wall voids. They love to chew on your electric wiring and ruin your plumbing insulation, HVAC ducts and even wood. Fixing all this and getting rid of rodents will run in the thousands. While cold climates slow down rodent activity during certain times of the year such as the winter. Mild temperatures allow rodents to hunt for food and nesting areas all year. Therefore, homeowners in Southern California must remain aware of rodent activity year-round rather than just during specific seasons. Additionally, the unique landscape of San Bernardino County offers numerous options for rodents to easily migrate into surrounding neighborhoods. Neighborhoods in San Bernardino County are often built next to open space and therefore offer abundant habitat for rodents. Furthermore, as building continues to develop throughout San Bernardino County, many rodents are forced to seek shelter outside of their original habitats and eventually find themselves seeking shelter inside of homes, garages, attics, etc.
The main reason why rodents thrive in San Bernardino is due to readily available food supplies. Rodents are attracted to outdoor pet food, bird seed, fruit trees, overflowing trash cans and poorly stored food. Once a rodent finds a consistent food supply, it will then select a location close to its food supply to nest. Although some homeowners might not intentionally create conditions that attract rodents into their yard, they may unintentionally create such conditions. The total of various attractants can lead to a larger infestation. Need help?
Why San Bernardino County Has a Unique Vermin Issue
San Bernardino County is actually the largest county by area in the contiguous United States. Our County touches desert, forests, hills, agricultural land, and there are always new housing developments popping up. Vermin start with a silent attack. After all, they are just trying to survive themselves and are looking for shelter and food and homeowners are usually working and busy and so do not prioritize prevention until there is an issue. There are two main reasons why rodent infestations are often overlooked. First, rodents are skilled at remaining hidden from view. Rats and mice prefer to live in dark seclusion in areas such as attics, crawl spaces under houses, wall cavities, storage areas or garages. Therefore, unless the owner experiences actual sightings of rodents or notices signs of their presence (such as scratching noises coming from walls, droppings in corners or unusual behaviors exhibited by pets) he/she may not suspect that an infestation exists until it has reached epic proportions. Second, rodents are nocturnal creatures and generally only become active during nighttime hours. During these periods they roam freely throughout the Property without being seen. As a result of their nocturnal nature, infestations can go unnoticed for weeks or months before they reach crisis levels and owners begin to receive alarming repair bills. Just discovered you have an infestation?
Benefits of Prevention
Benefits of prevention methods are many. By making sure that preventative actions are taken. your home and business can be protected more. You see, rodent infestations are almost entirely preventable. Implementing preventative measures can greatly minimize the likelihood of costly damages occurring as a result of unwanted guests. Probably the most effective method of preventing rodent infestations involves closing any holes or gaps that may exist in your property which would otherwise serve as an entry point for rodents. Although they appear small to us, rodents can fit through amazingly tiny openings. Therefore, homeowners should check for any gaps around pipes entering their home, vent stacks, utility lines entering their home or garage door seals. Proper sanitation practices also play a key role in preventing rodent infestations. Pet food should be kept in sealed containers when not being consumed by pets; garbage cans should always be closed tight; pet food placed outside at night should be removed immediately after feeding; and regular trimming back of landscaping features adjacent to homes should occur. By taking these three preventative actions (sealing holes/gaps; maintaining cleanliness; reducing accessible food resources), you will greatly decrease the chances that unwanted visitors will ruin your beautiful home. Ready to hire us?
Importance of Hiring a Professional Exterminator to Manage Vermin Infestations
Although it may seem convenient to handle pest control matters yourself using store bought traps or baits, DIY methods will rarely resolve larger scale rodent infestations completely. Effective elimination of larger rodent infestations requires identification of entry points and creation of barriers around those entry points; establishment of bait stations monitored regularly for effectiveness; tracking movement patterns; documentation of rodent activity; implementation of long term strategies for minimizing future infestations; removal of existing rodents; sealing off entry points; eliminating attractive environmental factors; creating barriers; establishing new habits; providing education regarding prevention; conducting routine inspections; assessing vulnerabilities; identifying high-risk zones; developing strategies for mitigation; recommending modifications in order to improve overall security; conducting follow-up evaluations; establishing communication channels; establishing timelines for completion; conducting surveys; determining effectiveness; and documenting progress toward goals. In fact, only trained pest control specialists are able to inspect thoroughly enough to identify hidden activity and implement strategies that prevent future infestations.
For many property owners in San Bernardino County, hiring professional help will ultimately save them money in the long run. Not only does hiring an exterminator preclude costly repairs associated with replacing insulation damaged by rodents (which alone can exceed $10 thousand), repairing damaged electrical systems (that can also exceed ten thousand dollars); or replacing contaminated drywall (also exceeding ten thousand dollars), but hiring a professional exterminator also eliminates future losses associated with potential fires caused by exposed wiring. Ultimately investing in professional rodent control protects not only your property value but your safety as well. Ready to call us?
Protect Your Home from Vermin
Your home is one of your biggest investments. Protection of your investment from vermin be it nasty insects or yes, rodents in this case depends on you being aware of all potential problems, expecially ones that aren’t apparent at first glance. Rodent infestations represent one of the least recognized threats affecting property owners in San Bernardino County today. If allowed to exist untreated, they can cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage while presenting multiple health related risks and safety concerns. Identifying these risks early on will greatly benefit you. It’s true that rats and mice don’t necessarily require large openings or obvious invitations to get into homes and businesses in San Bernardino County, and this is why they can slip by you. Once they’ve entered a dwelling or home business they operate mostly unseen until significant damage has been done. Because of this early detection, prevention is crucial in protecting your property from potentially costly surprises. If you’re concerned about possibly having rodents in your home and or business or simply want peace of mind that you haven’t developed an undesirable pest problem, now is the perfect time to act! Routine inspections; proper sanitation procedures; exclusionary work; and more. Our professional pest control service can all help ensure that your property remains safe from unwanted invaders. Ready for us to come and inspect?
