Will Rodents Damage My Insulation?

rat covering eyes with paws

You may already know the signs of a mouse or rat infestation. There are the droppings, the punctured bags of food and gnawed-on stored belongings. Some people don’t even need to hear the trademarked scratching coming from inside their walls or above their heads at night, but anyone who does knows they need help. Leo’s Pest Control can handle a rodent infestation, regardless of the species. But if the rats or mice get into your insulation, they can cause damage beyond our scope of expertise.

How does a rat or mouse infestation get in your insulation? What can you do to protect your home, and how can Leo’s Pest Control Help? Let’s go into all of that below.

Insulation: A Rodent’s Best Friend

Rodents aren’t that different from any other living thing in the world. All they want is shelter, something to eat, and to not be bothered while they do so. When it comes to the average home, a rodent can find all of that in the quiet corners of the attic or in the void between walls. It’s just a happy coincidence that these are also the two most insulated parts of the average property. Happy for them, at least.

Fiberglass insulation is the most common in households in Tennessee and Virginia, as it’s affordable and fairly durable. Unfortunately, it’s also the favorite amongst invading rodents. Once rats and mice get inside the structure of a house, they enjoy tunneling through the soft and fluffy material. They’ll even tear it apart to either eat it or use the material for their nests. You can call us and get your property clear of mice and rats, but that might not be enough to solve your rodent problem in its entirety. The nest they can leave around can be foul-smelling and messy. And rodent droppings may contain Hantavirus, a flu-like condition that can be fatal, so trying to handle damaged insulation on your own can actually be hazardous to your health.

You can’t fix insulation once it’s been contaminated. What you can do is call for professional home technicians to replace the material safely and efficiently. Or, even better, you can make sure rodents don’t get into your home to begin with.

How Leo’s Pest Control Can Help

We already said that there isn’t much we can do with insulation once rodents have damaged and contaminated it. We offer TAP® Insulation, but that borate solution isn’t designed to deter or kill anything larger than a slug or cockroach. What we can do is plan and execute a wildlife exclusion strategy tailor-made for your specific property. This will involve finding every potential point of entry in your home and addressing it, covering gaps and filling cracks as needed. When we’re done there will no longer be easy access for not only rodents, but many other pests as well. This is only one step in our rodent exterminating process, which we’ve been using to treat homes around Bristol and beyond for years. So if you want to protect your insulation, your home, and your peace of mind, do so with Leo’s Pest Control. Contact us today to get started!

Can Rats Climb Into My Home?

Rat in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

Rodent Awareness Week is upon us here in Tennessee. For anyone not familiar, Rodent Awareness Week is an annual event established by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) to help educate the public about the dangers of rat and mouse infestations. Here at Leo’s Pest Control, we aim to contribute by helping our communities learn more about the threats rodents can cause to homes and businesses.

Today, we’re focusing on rodent behavior, namely how they manage to get into our homes in the first place—do they climb up walls? Squeeze through tiny openings in the roof? Keep reading to learn all you need to know with the experts at Leo’s Pest Control!

How Do Rats Climb?

Rats and mice alike are very adept at getting into your home much easier than you may want to believe. In addition to squeezing in through tiny openings (small mice can fit into holes that are just 5 mm wide), one of the most common means by which rodents get indoors is by climbing.

Rats are apt climbers and scale vertical walls with disturbing ease. In fact, they can climb up a number of types of walls: concrete, wood, brick, stucco, drywall, and more. Roof rats in particular are known for their climbing skills, and rats in general have a vertical leap of about 36 inches. Needless to say, this makes rodents very capable of climbing your home or trees around your home.

Where Do Rodents Live in My Home?

If and when rodents get into your home, where do they stow away? Here’s where you may find rats and mice hiding around your property:

  1. Attics or lofts: In your attic, rodents will shred insulation and hide in cardboard boxes.
  2. Kitchens: Especially in restaurants, rodents are known to harbor around appliances to stay warm.
  3. Laundry rooms: Similarly to kitchens, laundry rooms provide rodents with the warmth and moisture they seek.
  4. In the walls: When you have a bad infestation, rodents could be found in crawl spaces or wall cavities.
  5. Garages: Rats and mice are frequently found in residential garages amidst your stored items.

Rodent Awareness in Bristol TN

No matter whether it’s Rodent Awareness Week or not, the experts at Leo’s Pest Control are committed to educating our Bristol TN communities about the potential dangers of rodent infestations. Avoiding rodents means learning about how they get indoors in the first place. To learn more about keeping rats and mice out this fall and winter, contact us today to learn more!

How to Tell the Difference Between Mice & Rats

Identify rats and mice in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

Mice and rats share many similar traits but differ in a number of important ways. All rodents share the common trait that is their incisor teeth, which never stop growing. This of course explains their habit of chewing and gnawing just about anything they can get their mouths on. However, the mouse and rat differ in several ways, and many people tend to get these two pests confused for one another. Both can be a nuisance, but it’s important to learn how to tell the difference between mice and rats in order to better prepare yourself for an infestation. At Leo’s Pest Control, our rodent experts are here to share their expert knowledge on the matter—keep reading to learn more!

6 Rat Facts

While rats differ in species, they all share a number of traits that makes them stand out from their mouse counterparts. Here’s how:

  • Most rats typically have larger bodies that are about 6–9 inches in size.
  • Rats have small, hairy ears and larger feet.
  • Their droppings are much bigger than those of mice at 10–20 mm long.
  • Rats produce 3–6 litters a year with up to 10 pups in each litter.
  • Rats are opportunistic feeders that will eat meats, grains, seeds, and nearly anything else!

Mouse and rat identification in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

How Are Mice Different from Rats?

Mice are obviously much smaller than rats, but their differences don’t stop there. Here’s how to identify the difference between mice and rats:

  • Many mice species are just 2–4 inches long.
  • Mice typically have larger ears and tails compared to their body size.
  • The droppings mice leave behind have pointed ends and are just 1–2 mm long.
  • They are more prolific than rats: Mice produce 5–10 litters a year with up to 14 mice in each litter.
  • Mice are omnivores but mostly feed on seeds, grains, and fruits.

How to Know if You Have Rodent Problems

Unlike many types of pests, rodents will make their presence known rather quickly when they infest your property. Some of the most common signs you have rodents in your home include foul odors, odd noises, gnaw marks, chewed up nests, burrows or tunnels, and droppings or urine spots. Besides being a nuisance to get rid of, rats and mice alike are dangerous due to their ability to transmit some of the world’s worst diseases. As soon as you spot the signs of rats or mice, it’s crucial to contact your local rodent exterminator.

Mice & Rats in Bristol TN

Rodent infestations are more common than you want to think in our area. If you are unsure whether you have rats or mice infesting your property, it’s best to enlist the help of a professional. At Leo’s, we focus on rodent prevention and exclusion to stop rrodents from getting inside your home in the first place. Contact us today to learn more!

Reports of Rodents Surge During the Pandemic

Rodents are infesting more homes during the pandemic in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

Rats and mice are typically common this time of year, but 2020 is seeing a surge in rodent activity due to the pandemic. With the shutdowns and restrictions put on restaurants and bars, rodents suddenly were deprived of their normal food source. This in turn caused them to look to residential homes for sustenance. Now with the weather getting colder, rodents will look to make their way inside your home for the coming months. This Rodent Awareness Week, it’s important to learn how to protect your home from rodents and all of the dangers they bring. Keep reading for expert tips from the team at Leo’s.

Rodents & Coronavirus

Rodents may be responsible for transmitting some of the world’s worst diseases, but COVID-19 is thankfully not one of them. Although there is no evidence to suggest that they are spreading this disease, there are still other diseases they are linked to. Also, a rodent infestation at any time can lead to structural damage.

Restaurant closures have caused an uptick in residential rodent sightings as rats and mice become bolder in their hunt for resources. This directly correlates to a bigger risk of infestations and rodent-spread issues. While they won’t transmit COVID-19 to you or your family, it remains crucial to keep these pests out and away from your home all year long.

Prevention Tips for Rodents

Now is the time to protect your property from rodents and the damage they can cause. Leo’s best rodent prevention tips are as follows.

  1. Securely store all food in metal or glass containers with tight-fitting lids.
  2. Clean inside the house and around the garden. Less clutter means fewer places to hide.
  3. Put outdoor garbage bags in metal garbage cans with securely fitted lids to stop them from feeding on contents.
  4. Seal off cracks and crevices around openings. Mice can squeeze inside holes the size of a dime.
  5. Clean up pet food and bird seed debris, and store pet food in robust containers with fitted lids, preferably above ground level.
  6. If you have a compost heap don’t include organic food waste, as this will attract them.
  7. Inspect your garage, attic, crawlspaces, and vents for potential rodent hiding spots.

Dealing With Rodents This Fall?

As mentioned previously, rodents are more abundant (and more aggressive) than ever. If you find yourself with a rodent infestation, it’s important to act fast. The rodent exterminators at Leo’s Pest Control can work with you to implement a custom rodent control plan. Contact us today to learn more.