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In Southern California, as is the case across the expanse of the United States, the most commonplace type of residential, business, or rental property infestation is that involving rodents, specifically rats and mice. There are three considerations associated with this specific type of animal infestation:
- Removal or eradication of rodents
- Rodent infestation cleanup
- Future rodent infestation prevention
Removal or Eradication of Rodents
There exists a number of alternatives when it comes to rodent eradication in your home, business, or rental property. These include some do it yourself options as well as engaging the services of a professional extermination or eradication service.
There are a variety of do it yourself rodent elimination options. With that said, specialists in the field maintain that the best and most humane instrument for eradicating rats and mice is the traditional, “old-school” bar snap-trap.
In the scheme of things, hiring an exterminator or eradication professional is considered the most efficient and effective course to take to address an animal infestation involving rats or mice. While there obviously is a cost for this type of service, in the grand scheme engaging a professional nearly always is a wise and reasonable investment.
Rodent Dropping Cleanup
In many instances, this type of animal infestation cleanup can prove more challenging than the initial eradication of rats and mice from the premises prior to the commencement of cleaning. Effective and safe rodent infestation cleanup can prove to be a remarkably challenging endeavor.
Following a rat or mouse infestation at your property, the most significant rodent infestation cleanup challenge is dealing with rodent droppings. The reality is that rodent droppings can prove to be a health hazard. Rodent droppings can harbor different types of dangerous pathogens, health hazards that can include viruses and bacteria. An example of such a virus is hantavirus. Hantavirus can become airborne and has the potential for causing significant and even fatal health issues.
In order to embark on animal infestation cleanup following a rodent infestation, using appropriate personal protective equipment, or PPE, is a must. This gear needs to include a respirator, goggles, gloves, and some type of uniform or garment covering.
The process of rodent infestation cleanup needs to commence with what fairly can be called containment. Once personal protective equipment is in place, rodent droppings should be saturated with a liquid sanitization agent. You can purchase a suitable sanitization agent a retail outlet like Home Depot. In the alternative, you can make a sanitization solution comprised of 1-part chlorine bleach and 9-parts water.
This serves the dual purpose of eradicating at least some of the potential pathogens that might be contained in rodent droppings. It also prevents them from crumbling and releasing harmful disease-carrying particles into the air. The sanitization solution should soak rodent droppings for 20 minutes, after which they can be removed and stowed in a suitable hazardous waste container.
Once rodent droppings have been physically removed, the infested or contaminated area needs to be sanitized. The same type of sanitization agent or solution mentioned a moment ago can be used for this purpose.
Finally, it is highly likely that a rodent infestation can result in a situation involving a foul stench on the premises. This type of animal infestation cleanup may require deodorization as well.
Because of the complexities of rodent dropping cleanup, the typical homeowner, business owner, or rental property owner is best served by obtaining professional assistance. An animal dropping cleanup company can safely and thoroughly restore the premises to a fully usable state. The dangers inherently associated with rat dropping are eradicated, resulting in a safe home, business, or rental property.
Future Rodent Infestation Prevention
Once you manage the completion of rodent eradication and animal dropping cleanup from your home, business or rental property, you undoubtedly want to take all practical steps necessary to prevent against a future pest invasion. At the heart of preventing future rodent infestation is blocking any potential accessways into your home, business, or rental property.
The heart of blocking access to your home by rodents is sealing any holes in the exterior. Bear in mind that rodents are capable of getting through very small spaces. For example, a mouse can get through a hole in exterior the size of a dime. A rat can get through a hole the size of a quarter.
Rodents are also capable of effectively chewing through a variety of materials. Thus, you need to take care to plug any holes around the exterior of your home to ensure you select a material that rodents cannot penetrate.
As part of your effort to prevent future rodent infestation into your home, business, or rental property, you need to eliminate any clutter from the grounds surrounding the property. Rodents are attracted to clutter and use it as something of a staging ground for a move to infest your home, business, or rental property.
You will also want to keep rodent attractions at bay inside your property as well. For example, don’t leave containers of open food about your home, including pet food. In addition, make certain that garbage cans are sealed as well.
Future rodent prevention efforts are something that a home, business, or rental property owner typically can personally undertake. The need for professional assistance usually is unnecessary, unless there is some sort of more major physical defect in the structure of your property.
