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Are Mice Nocturnal?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a mouse in a house

If you’ve noticed signs of mice, but have never actually seen a rodent, you may wonder how bad your problem really is. Or, you may start wondering, ”Are mice nocturnal?” The answer is yes—mice are nocturnal. This means they are most active at night, under the cover of darkness.

Why are mice nocturnal? Keep in mind that they are tiny, timid creatures. It benefits them to do most of their running around at night, searching for food and water. Nighttime is when they are least likely to run into predators.

The fact that mice stay hidden during daylight hours is one of the reasons an infestation can be so hard to find and control. Many times, mice build nests that homeowners never even know are there—that is, until the mice start causing too many problems to miss.

Signs of an Infestation

The unfortunate truth is that you can have a full-blown mouse infestation and … Read Full Post »

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House Mouse: Identification & Control Tips

. Posted by in , • Austin
a mouse in a house

A house mouse may look cute and fluffy, but an infestation in your home is not something to take lightly. House mice carry dangerous diseases that can harm humans and pets. They can also cause severe property damage both indoors and outdoors.

It’s important to know how to identify a house mouse from other mice species so that you can deal with the problem correctly. This guide will break down their appearance and how they differ from other types of mice species.

Additionally, let’s discuss how to control a house mouse problem and prevent the annoyance from returning. Since house mice can cause outdoor property damage and destroy your gardens, this guide will also go over how to keep them out of your beds.

Finally, you’ll learn about an interesting method that mice use when they feel threatened: playing dead.

As a homeowner, learning about the behavioral patterns, appearance, and dangers of the house … Read Full Post »

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Signs of a German Roach Infestation

. Posted by in • Orlando
a german cockroach

German cockroaches are one of the most common types of roaches, and you can identify the small, penny-sized insects by their elongated shape, light caramel brown color and two black stripes that run along their shell-like top covering. They have a full set of wings, but they do not fly.

This roach variety doesn’t sneak into homes and other buildings from the outside, like their American cockroach cousins. They spend most of their lives hanging out in places that keep them close to sources of food and water. They spread through multi-unit dwellings such as apartment buildings by traveling through the spaces in between the apartments or business suites, always seeking food and water. Restaurants and hotels also see their fair share of these unwanted visitors. Homeowners can accidentally bring these pests home with them from a multitude of locations. Unfortunately, just one or two German cockroaches can quickly turn into … Read Full Post »

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What Are the Signs of a Rat Infestation?

. Posted by in , • Tyler
a rat in a garden

A potential rat infestation is an unpleasant reality of being a homeowner. However, when you know the signs of rats, you can catch an infestation in its early stages.

For example, it’s important to know what rat droppings look like and how they differ from the droppings of other rodents. You should also know about their nests and the materials they use to form them. Understanding their habits and hiding spots will also help you identify the source of your rat infestation.

Next, it’s important to know about the diet of a rat so that you can take measures to keep them out of your kitchen and lawn. Additionally, there are simple ways to make your home inhospitable to rats that all homeowners should remember.

Finally, it’s valuable to know about the sleeping patterns of rats. Rats are hard to catch because they are active at night. This guide will tell you everything … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Carry Rabies?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a mouse

When you have a mouse infestation, it needs to be dealt with as efficiently as possible. Mice are incredibly fast breeders, so an infestation that’s not eliminated quickly is likely to grow out of control. These rodents can cause property damage and they contaminate anything they touch. This is partly because they carry bacteria and diseases that can make people sick. But, do mice carry rabies?

Mice are rarely infected with rabies, and they have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. Still, they pose a danger to people’s health in several ways. While they don’t carry rabies, they carry other harmful bacteria and diseases. These include salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and plague.

When rodents crawl on your kitchen counters or chew through cereal boxes in your pantry, they are contaminating your food along with the surfaces in your home. Additionally, the pathogens in mouse urine and droppings have the potential … Read Full Post »

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What Attracts Rats?

. Posted by in , • Houston
a rat in a garden

Knowing what attracts rats is a big part of keeping them away from your home and property. Rats are wild animals that naturally live outdoors, building nests under shrubbery, inside dead trees or in underground burrows. Like all animals, rats have three basic needs—food, water and shelter. When you’re dealing with a rat infestation on your property, it means they have found all three. This is why a big part of getting rid of rats is eliminating what’s attracting them.

If you’re dealing with a problem, you may notice some of the following signs of rats:

  • Scattered rat droppings
  • Shredded paper, insulation or other nesting materials
  • Squeaking or scratching sounds coming from within the walls or ceilings
  • Gnaw marks on cabinets, baseboards or other areas
  • Greasy rub marks along walls, baseboards or rafters, where these pests commonly walk along their routes between their nest and their food and water sources
  • An actual rat sighting—though this is less … Read Full Post »
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What Color Are Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
two bed bugs and a bed bug egg

Do you know the typical signs of bed bugs and how to determine them from other types of household pests? The best way to catch a bed bug infestation before it goes too far is to understand the appearance of bed bugs in all parts of their life cycle.

In this article, you will learn what bed bugs look like, what color they are and how their appearance changes before and after a blood meal. You will also discover what bed bug stains look like, as well as other common signs of bed bugs. Equipped with this information, homeowners can catch an infestation even before they spot bed bugs in their home.

A bed bug infestation does not mean that your home is dirty, but it is crucial to treat the problem as soon as possible. This article will highlight how to get rid of these pests.

The Color of Bed Bugs Throughout … Read Full Post »

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I Found Mouse Droppings But No Mouse

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
mouse droppings on floor

You might not have spotted a mouse in your house, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t moved in. There are several other signs that you have a rodent problem that needs immediate attention.

Sudden Appearance of Pellets

A sure sign is droppings around food, in drawers or cupboards (especially in the kitchen) and under a sink. Not everyone is quite sure what they are seeing when they spy droppings in their home, so it’s important to know what mouse droppings look like. What you are looking for are smallish dark pellets, about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch long, with pointed ends.

It can be easy to want to believe it’s just food particles or something else, but the reality is you have unwanted guests if you are seeing these droppings. You can get a flashlight and take a peek behind cabinets and under sinks and appliances to see if … Read Full Post »

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Can Rats See in the Dark?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a rat in darkness

When you hear rustling around the house at night, it could be a family member going into the kitchen for a midnight snack. If you hear noises in the wall, it’s an entirely different kind of hungry critter. Rats regularly scrounge for food and water at night, which has led to the popular belief that rodents can see very well in the dark. But can they really?

It is true that rats are nocturnal animals and would much rather hide away during the daylight hours than run about your home. Rats are incredibly sensitive to bright lights. It hurts their eyes. So it would make sense for them to have night vision. However, rats actually have pretty poor vision no matter how much light there is.

Most rats have adapted to living in low light and are pretty nearsighted, with the ability to only see a couple of feet in front of … Read Full Post »

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The Giant African Land Snail: What You Need To Know

. Posted by in • Orlando
a giant African land snail

Giant African Land Snails are an invasive species that can cause property damage and disrupt agriculture. While they originated in Africa, they are now found worldwide. Infestations are extremely serious.

These snails prefer warm and humid climates, which is why they are most often found in the southeastern states of America. Currently, a new Giant African Land Snail population has been discovered in Pasco County, Florida. This is the third time that the state has dealt with an infestation.

Florida residents should understand the risks of a Giant African Land Snail infestation and learn how to identify these pests. This guide will break down their appearance, habitats, mating habits, reproduction cycle and more. It will also cover the previous infestations in Florida and what the state is currently doing to eradicate these pests again.

What Do Giant African Land Snails Look Like?

As you can probably tell from their name, Giant … Read Full Post »

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