Rodents
Rodent Control Southern Maine
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Green Shield Pest Solutions offers quality rodent control. Over time, rodents have adapted their behavior to accept shelter, food, and transport from humans. Consequently they can be found wherever humans live. These three particularly are most common in Maine.
House Mouse
Named after: They are small and will find their way into a home for shelter or food.
Identification: 2 ½” – 4″, light brown to dark gray, but most are dusky-gray or medium-brown , except the belly which is a lighter shade but never white. They have moderately large ears, small eyes and feet, and a nearly hairless tail that is about the size of its body.
Seasonality: Year round but you may see them more in the winter due to seeking shelter from the cold.
Why they are in/near my home: Mice are curious by nature and will nest in wood piles, under rocks, cracks in walls, and can dig underground burrows. If they get inside, they look for dark, sheltered locations and are looking for food like cereals and grains. They only travel as much as 50 feet from their nest, so if you see them, their nest is not far away. The garage is a typical entry because of the easy access. Also, they can squeeze through a dime sized crack on the exterior of any home.
Tips for homeowners: Keep your garage, basement, and attic uncluttered to make it difficult for mice to find shelter.
How Green Shield can help: Because mice breed year-round and can produce up to 150 young per year, it is important to catch mice early; a few can quickly become a large infestation. An integrated pest management program from a professional is almost always necessary to get them under control. Green Shield is a good choice for identifying the rodent, coming up with a treatment plan, and following up to make sure they are gone.
Weird fact: They produce between 40-100 droppings per day. Yuck!
Deer Mouse
Named after: It somewhat resembles a small deer with their two-toned color and agility.
Identification: 3″-4,” body, two-toned with the darker color on the back, and white on the abdominal area. They have prominent ears and long tails.
Seasonality: They seek shelter inside during the winter to escape the cold but are year-round pests.
Why they are in/near my home: They prefer rural areas and hang around fence posts and log piles and are active all year. They look for shelter like all rodents inside garages, attics, crawlspaces, and basements but do not commonly invade homes like the house mouse.
Tips for homeowners: Clean debris around the outside of your home. Keep your lawn cut short and shrubs trimmed back.
How Green Shield can help: Deer mice can reservoir lyme disease and hantavirus, so hiring a professional like Green Shield will ensure that health risks are minimized. Every home and property is different, so your Green Shield service professional will design a unique plan catered to you in order to keep deer mice in check.
Weird fact: When disturbed, they will stamp their forelegs and vibrate their tail to produce a drumming sound.
Norway Rat
Named after: The most common rat has some mystery surrounding it’s country of origin, but the name comes from the belief that they were brought to the US on a shipload of timber from Norway.
Identification: 7″-10,” with a shorter tail and small eyes. Color is varied from gray, to brown, to black.
Seasonality: They are year-round pests.
Why they are in/near my home: Like most rodents, they seek shelter in various places around the home like stones, bricks, piles of leaves, and stacked firewood. They can squeeze through a quarter sized crack on the outside of a home. They are excellent climbers and can enter the home through soffit vents and around cables entering the home. Like mice, they also frequent garages.
Tips for homeowners: Exclusion is key. Sealing cracks around the foundation and anywhere on the outside of the home will help greatly. They eat anything, so keeping the home as clean as possible is also important.
How Green Shield can help: Because rats are responsible for food contamination, material damage, and serious electrical issues as a result of gnawing, hiring a professional like Green Shield would guarantee to stop the rat problem. Green Shield will evaluate the situation with a full home inspection, and use a combination of traps, baits, and thorough exclusion.
Weird fact: Rats destroy about 20% of agricultural products every year.