What Do Rodents Have In Common With Humans?

Rodents are nothing like us, right? Wrong. These pests may look very different than us, have very different habits and generally seem completely dissimilar, but unfortunately, rodents really aren’t that different than humans. Rodents need the same essentials to survive that we do- they need food, water and shelter. The rodents that we generally come into contact with are the house mouse, the Norway rat and the roof rat. These rodents are considered commensal, which means they are in a symbiotic relationship with us humans whether we like it or not; they benefit from us and our homes while, for the most part, we are unaffected by them.

Rodents look to us for shelter. They will find a way to get into our homes, especially in the cooler months of the year. They don’t like the cold weather just as much as we don’t, so they are looking for a cozy and undisturbed place within your home to build their nests. The places they choose can vary, but rodents are typically found in basements, attics, closets and garages.

Rodents look to us for food. Once they are inside our homes, they will begin foraging for food. They are capable of chewing through food packaging and will take whatever they can from our cupboards and pantries. They really appreciate it when we leave food out on our counters and will steal crumbs from behind and around cabinets whenever they can find them.

Rodents look to us for water. Along with food, water is necessary for rodents. They can often find sources of water in leaky faucets and pipes; house mice typically obtain water from the food they eat, while rats like to have a source of water to drink from.

Unfortunately, this commensal relationship is very one-sided- rodents never give us anything good in return for taking so much from us. In fact, although a very small infestation of these animals in your home may go unnoticed, a growing family of mice or rats can begin to cause problems for you, your family and even your home. Rodents are known for spreading many diseases, including salmonellosis, the plague, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, lassa fever, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever and tularemia, just to name a few. They can contaminate our food supply and destroy our belongings as they try to nest in our homes. Rodents have also been cited in many house fires when they enter the walls of your home and begin to chew on electrical wires. Obviously, having these pests in your home can become a serious problem, so contacting a professional with home rodent control services is the best way to protect your home and family from a rodent infestation.

When it comes to rodent control, Indianapolis and Terre Haute natives know to call the professionals at Action. Our Terre Haute exterminators know where to look for pesky rodents and have the tools and knowledge necessary to eliminate these pests from your home. For Evansville pest control and Indianapolis exterminators you can trust, contact Action Pest Control today!