The Secret To Effective Rodent Control In Ventura County

When mice or rats get into structures in Ventura County, they create many problems. Rodents leave their feces and urine in all of the places they explore. They gnaw on building materials, stored belongings, and food packages. They also chew on wiring, which can spark into a blaze. Mice and rats can directly transmit diseases and they carry ticks and fleas, which also transmit diseases. We're probably not telling you anything you don't already know. But, in light of all the ways rodents can present a threat to your health and property, it is important that you know what is required to effectively control them. Surprisingly, many Ventura County residents don't know nearly as much as they should about these pests. Let's take a look at the problem.

Things Are Rarely As They Seem

It is a common belief that you can get control of rodents by getting a cat. This can appear to be a great idea. Cats eat mice. But not all cats have the killer instinct. Some cats will just watch a mouse or a rat crawl by, and do nothing about it. If you're lucky and you get a cat that loves to chase and eat rodents, it doesn't have the ability to get into the places rodents get into, such as wall and floor voids. What typically happens with cats is that rodents stop appearing in open areas where cats are patrolling. This can make it seem like your rodent control is working. But rodents can continue to live in your walls, feed on your food, and grow a population right under your nose. They'll just do it without going out into the open.

One more scenario you might encounter is failed trapping. No, we're not talking about putting traps down and failing to catch a single rodent. What we see happen quite a bit is that traps are placed down and a few rodents are caught. When no more rodents are being caught, property owners think they've won the battle—only to find out a few months later that they still have a rodent infestation. This is because traps alone won't arrest an infestation. As you capture mice or rats, more can enter your property to take their place. On top of this, most of the time traps only capture a small fraction of the rodents in a structure. Mice and rats are smart and they have behavior patterns and unique abilities that help them evade traps.

What Works To Control Rodents?

Okay. Here's the secret we promised. Rodent control can be broken down into a few simple categories.

• Inspection. Before you start putting traps down, it is essential to do a detailed inspection, looking for warning signs, such as droppings, the scent of urine, damage, or grease marks. This initial inspection provides helpful data regarding the size of the infestation, location of activity, and type of rodent.
• Treatment. There are many treatment options for rodents. These should be selected for the specific type of rodent and they should include cultural modifications, sanitation, exclusions, and trapping. Cultural modifications are alterations to your property that work to naturally deter rodents, such as the installation of fencing to protect voids underneath structures. Sanitation works to remove smells and food sources. Exclusions work to deter rodents by removing obvious entry points or by strengthening vulnerable spots. Trapping is the systematic deployment of devices to capture rodents and track rodent activity.
• Monitoring. The devices you put down, such as glue boards, spring traps, or mechanical traps, are not only for culling the rodent population, but also for monitoring rodent activity. When a licensed professional handles your rodent control, your technician will use field-tested methods to properly deploy and monitor these devices.
• Evaluation. When mice or rats are no longer being caught, this isn't enough evidence that the infestation has been corrected. A professional will perform routine inspections to check for warning signs.

While you can use these four steps to arrest your rodent infestation, it's a lot of work and there are details that need to be followed in order to achieve success. Pest control technicians are trained and experienced. They're also plugged into industry information. As new tricks, methods, and products become available, they are quickly implemented.

Ventura Rodent Control

The best solution for rodent control in Ventura County is to let our licensed professionals handle this complex pest problem.

We have over 60 years of experience.

We have over 10,000 satisfied customers.

We offer a pest-free guarantee and a one-year rodent exclusion guarantee.

We use advanced products, such as tamper-resistant traps that are barcoded. You can go online and track the progress of your rodent treatment.

Are you ready to take the next step? Reach out to us. We look forward to helping you solve your rodent problem!