Save Your Insulation from Rodents!

How do you know if you have a rodent infestation? The most common signs are evidence of poop piles or urine patches in and around the house. They may gnaw at your bagged food and stored

belongings, and when they’re at their most active you’ll hear them skittering about in your walls or above your head. If any of this sounds familiar, you need professional extermination services. We can send a rodent expert to clear out any size rat or mouse infestation that may be in your home, but that’s not all that needs to be done.  Were the rodents around your insulation? If so, they’ve likely damaged the material.

Why are rats and mice attracted to your insulation? What do they do with it, and what can you to repair and prevent? At Loyal Termite & Pest Control, we can answer all these questions and more.

Rodents in Insulation

When mice and rats get into the home, they’re looking for a source of food and a place to nest that’s relatively undisturbed. The insulation in your walls and attic provide all of that. The most popular insulation material for rodents is fiberglass batting. It’s soft and warm, easy for rodents to bite into to eat or use for their nests. And even once you get rid of rodents in your home, the damage to the insulation remains. It won’t go away, and at that point, the safest and most cost-effective solution is to replace the insulation entirely.

There are no materials that are completely rodent-resistant.  Boric-infused cellulose may deter larger pests, but there’s really no guarantee. What matters is that you don’t try and remove and replace the damaged insulation yourself. Rodents leave droppings wherever they nest, and it’s possible that their leavings are tainted with Hantavirus. Hantavirus is a potentially fatal respiratory disease that can be spread into the air if infected leavings are disturbed. That’s why we strongly suggest you leave any potential insulation replacement to the experts.

But do you have to wait for it to get to that point? What’s the best way to prevent rodents in Virginia?

Rodent Exclusion with Loyal Termite & Pest Control

What is rodent exclusion? It’s a way that pest control companies can stop an infestation before it starts. And it involves no magic tricks, just a thorough analysis of the potential vulnerabilities in your home. We can patch up holes and fill in gaps that rats and mice could otherwise slip in, leaving your home secure and your insulation unbothered. Rodent exclusion is only one step of our rodent extermination plan that’ll make sure homes in Virginia get pest-free and stay there. We’ve been working in the area for over sixty years, and in that time we’ve developed the experience and skill set to handle the full scope of pest prevention and control.

Don’t wait until rodents leave you footing the bill on an unnecessary repair. To protect your insulation, and your home as a whole, contact Loyal Termite & Pest Control today!

Tips to Prevent Mice From Multiplying

Group of mice in Eastern VA home - Loyal Termite & Pest ControlRodents are one of the most common—and concerning—pests in all of Virginia. Not only do rats and mice spread germs and disease, they also can damage the very structure of your property. Most troublesome of all is the fact that rodents reproduce at a rapid pace. This is why seeing even a couple of rodents could indicate a bigger problem at play, as litters are born constantly. This is why it’s imperative that you learn how to keep mice from turning your property into their own personal breeding grounds in the first place. Read on to learn the best tips to prevent mice from multiplying in your home or business with Loyal Termite & Pest Control.

The Reproduction Rate of Rodents

If you see just one or two mice, you may not be in a panic. However, it only takes one male and one female mouse to start an infestation. At just 4–6 weeks of age, female mice are able to begin breeding. One mouse can give birth to five or six babies after just a three-week gestation period. Even worse, they can produce up to 10 litters a year! These female mice can mate immediately after giving birth, meaning mice can birth a second litter in as little as 25 days after the first. Needless to say, even a small rodent problem in your home or business can quickly become a full-blown infestation.

Rodent reproduction rate infographic - Loyal Termite & Pest Control

3 Tips to Stop Mice From Multiplying

The key to stopping the rapid reproduction rate of mice is to keep mice out altogether. This is best done by making your home or business impenetrable and less attractive to the pests altogether. The top three things you can do to repel mice are:

  1. Block off any easy access points—this could mean fixing screens on windows and vents, applying weather stripping on doors, and filling cracks in your plumbing fixtures and roofing.
  2. Clean dishes and spills right away and store your food properly, sealed in airtight containers.
  3. Keep your grass cut short, clear out your yard waste often, and refrain from using mulch near the foundation of your home.

Preventing Mice Year-Round in Virginia

Rodents are a year-round pest problem in Virginia, but they are especially common in the fall and winter months. To avoid mice reproducing in your home, it’s important to know how to recognize the early signs of rodents in your property, like droppings or gnaw marks, so you can stop an infestation before it begins. At Loyal Termite & Pest Control, we know how difficult this can be, which is why our rodent exterminators are always happy to help. Contact us today!

Prepare for Higher Fall-Winter Pest Activity

What a rat in your house might look like in Eastern & Central Virginia - Loyal Termite & Pest ControlHaving serviced Eastern & Central Virginia homes for so long, our Loyal Termite & Pest Control technicians have seen it all. With the great variance in weather trends that we see throughout the year, all sorts of pest problems are possible. This means that in order to stay on top of pest problems year round, our at-home pest control strategies have to change. As we watch this autumn fade into winter, we have to make sure our home maintenance is keeping up with the season. Read on to learn how!

Cold Season Pests in Eastern & Central Virginia

This fall, we are expecting rodents to become a problem earlier in the year than they usually do. While we usually consider them to be wintertime pests, this year’s colder fall will be driving them indoors, looking for food, shelter from predators, and a warm place to sleep. They could already be living in your yard undetected, but they will find any way that they can to sneak into your crawl spaces, attic, or walls next. Mice and rats are the most common rodents that we get called out to deal with here at Loyal Termite & Pest Control.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently put out their Fall & Winter 2021 Bug Barometer:

Bug Barometer 2021 - Loyal Termite & Pest Control

How to Prevent Rodents in Fall and Winter

As you might expect, the nature of keeping pests out of your home and off of your property varies greatly between the summer and winter. Shifting our focus from mosquitoes, ticks, ants, and other small arthropods to rodents and other mammals will help us prevent pest issues most effectively. Here are our top three ways to conduct your own pest control for fall and winter:

  1. Don’t let your yard become unwieldy. Keeping your grass cut and yard waste cleared can reduce hiding places for rodents in your yard. Your firewood piles can host rodents, too, so keep your firewood off of the ground and away from your home.
  2. Check around your home for potential entry points. These could be cracks in your walls and foundation, broken ventilation and roofing fixtures, or gaps around your doors and windows.
  3. Be careful with food and trash. When you’re done eating, store all of your food in airtight containers and wash your dishes promptly. You should also be keeping your trash in sealable bins and bringing it outside as often as possible.

Professional Pest Control for the Atlanta Winter

Whether you’re already dealing with a seasonal pest infestation or you’re looking for help getting ahead of impending problems, you can reach out to your local pest control company for help. At Loyal Termite & Pest Control, our technicians take the extra care to inspect your entire property, perform all necessary rodent removal or necessary pest extermination, and leave you with advice to better protect your property going forward. To hear more about how we can help you and receive a free quote, contact our team today!

Why Do Rats Chew Wires?

What rats look like in Eastern & Central Virginia - Loyal Termite & Pest ControlOne of the worst parts about dealing with pests, especially rodents, is the concern of potential property damage. Between mice, rats, gophers, moles, and more, rodents are able to tear up your yard, nest in your attic and crawl spaces, spread filth and waste on your property, and chew up the wires in your home or car. If you have noticed that electrical wiring in your home or car has been chewed up or torn, you’re likely dealing with a rat infestation or a nearby population of rodents. To learn how to prevent more damage, read on for expert advice from the rodent control experts at Loyal Termite & Pest Control!

Are Rats Chewing Wires in Your Home?

Rats are stealthy pests—they have been known to live in Eastern & Central Virginia homes for long stretches of time before being discovered. Nesting in your crawl spaces, attic, walls, or basement, rats bide their time through the fall in winter laying low and chewing on almost anything that they can find. But why do they insist on tearing up our wires?

Like all rodents, rats have a pair of upper and lower teeth called incisors which continually grow throughout their lives. To keep these teeth from growing into their brain, rats must constantly grind them together or gnaw on objects to whittle them down. This accounts for much of the property damage that we often see related to rodents. Chewed-up wires and wood in your home could mean you have rats or mice.

Why is Rodent Damage Dangerous?

When rats chew up your electrical wiring, they tear through the protective layer of insulation, leaving the metal exposed. This could cause a spark that leads to a fire in your home or car. Especially when within the structure of your home and surrounded by wood, fire hazards become a concern.

To keep rats out of your home, try these prevention methods:

  1. Inspect your home for holes or gaps and seal them promptly
  2. Use baits outside to draw them away from your home
  3. Clean up your spills and don’t leave food out after eating
  4. Call a professional pest expert for a property inspection

Expert Rodent Removal in Virginia

Rodent infestations in the fall are inevitable for Eastern & Central Virginia homeowners who don’t take the proper precautions against them. If you want to ensure that your home is safe from rats, mice, gophers, and more, talk to the rodent control team at Loyal Termite & Pest Control about your concerns. Our vermin control specialists are fitted with equipment and training to tackle any rat infestation or mice outbreak that you’re dealing with. Contact our team today for a free quote!

Rodent Infestations Are On The Rise

Rodents are entering Henrico VA homes during the pandemic - Loyal Termite & Pest ControlAs if you didn’t already have enough to worry about in 2020, rodent infestations are currently on the rise. With Rodent Awareness Week upon us, now is the time to learn how to protect your property from rats and mice infestations. The pandemic is one of the leading causes of the rise in rodent problems due to restaurant closures. Rodents that once relied on restaurants and bars for food were suddenly deprived of their main resource. And now with the weather changing, they will be drawn inside your own Virginia home not only to escape dropping temperatures outside but to look for food. Keep reading to learn all about the plight of rodents during the pandemic and what you can do to prevent them.

Are Rodents Connected to COVID-19?

There has been a lot of information spread about how rodents are connected to the coronavirus. The good news is that there is no current evidence or research to show that rodents are transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Due to the restaurant shutdowns and lockdowns, there have been several reported cases of rats and mice becoming more bold and rampant in the absence of food sources.

While they won’t transmit COVID-19 to you or your family, rodents still can spread other diseases including hantavirus, salmonellosis, and more. They also can cause structural damage by their nesting and chewing habits. The main concern with rodents right now is their aggressive behavior and abundant populations getting into homes.

Here’s How to Prevent Rodents in 2020

To keep these aggressive rodents far away from your home, you have to make your property less conducive to an infestation! Some of our best tips include:

  1. Put outdoor garbage bags in metal garbage cans with securely fitted lids to stop them from feeding on contents.
  2. Seal off cracks and crevices around openings. Mice can squeeze inside dime-sized holes
  3. Securely store all food in metal or glass containers with tight-fitting lids.
  4. Clean inside the house and around the garden. Less clutter means fewer places to hide.
  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.

Year-Round Rodent Control

Rodent Awareness Week allows our team to focus on the dangers of rodents, which seems more important than ever during the current pandemic. For more information or assistance preventing rats and mice on your property, our rodent exterminators are here to help. Call us today!