A Look at Where Mice Nest

If mice are a problem in or around your home, contact the rodent removal experts at Gopher Patrol. As one of the leading rodent extermination companies in Riverside, we offer effective pest elimination services that you can trust. Visit our website to learn more about our rodent control methods, or call us at (888) 466-4674 if you have any questions. 

Examining the Health Risks Associated with a Rodent Infestation

Even if you are a self-professed animal lover, there is nothing to love about rats and mice in your home. In addition to the structural damage rodents can cause, they also present a serious health risk to you and your family. Rodents are notoriously filthy creatures; in fact, they are responsible for spreading the bubonic plague across Europe that killed an estimated 25 million people in the late 1340s. As if you needed more reasons to contact a rodent control company at the first sign of rats and mice in your home, here is a look at some of the health risks associated with a rodent infestation.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
HPS is spread by breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings. This severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease is characterized by fever, headaches, muscle aches, stomach problems, and chills followed by long bouts of coughing and shortness of breath.

Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is caused by the bacteria of the genus Leptospira, which many rodents carry. Although Leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. This is dangerous considering that, if left untreated, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
Like HPS, LCM is commonly spread by breathing in dust contaminated with rodent urine or droppings. Although initial symptoms are relatively mild (sore throat, cough, and joint pain), LCM has also been known to cause acute hydrocephalus, which often requires surgery to relieve increase intracranial pressure.

This is just a small sample the numerous diseases directly transmitted by rodents. To protect your health and the health of your family, contact Gopher Patrol at the first sign of rat or mice in your home. Our rodent removal experts have served the Riverside area for over 15 years. To set up an appointment, contact us online or call us at (888) 466-4674. 

Can Moles and Gophers be Eliminated Using the Same Methods?

Although the resulting damage to your yard may look similar, moles and gophers are quite different. Fortunately, the methods used to control one usually work to control the other. Poison bait is extremely effective in both cases, as are quick-kill traps. Treating moles and gophers typically take multiple visits, so prepare to see your pest control expert a few times over the coming weeks.

Moles and gophers can be very evasive, but the experts here at Gopher Patrol of Riverside have over 16 years of experience in the business. No matter how big your yard or evasive the gopher or mole, our experts can eliminate these unwelcomed guests for good. Visit our website to learn more about our gopher and mole removal services throughout the Riverside area, or call us at (888) 466-4674 to set up an appointment. 

The Signs and Symptoms of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

Although carpenter ants don’t cause nearly as much damage as termites, they are anything but welcome house guests. Carpenter ants establish colonies inside soft, moist wood. Rather than eating the wood, carpenter ants cause damage by excavating it to create hollowed-out galleries where their numbers can thrive. So while carpenter ants probably won’t eat you out of house and home, they can move a lot of it out of their way. To protect your home from ant damage, contact a pest control companyat the first sign of an ant infestation. These signs include:

Wood Piles
As carpenter ants begin to excavate the wood around your home, they will need places to discard the shavings. If you notice small piles of shavings around your floorboards, this could be an indication of either a termite or carpenter ant infestation. Either way, contact a pest control expert as soon as possible.

Winged Ants
Winged ants only appear once a colony is fully matured. This means that if you see winged ants inside your home, the carpenter ants may have already made themselves at home inside your walls. Although it’s possible that one or two winged ants could have flown in from the outside, seeing multiple winged ants in your home is not a coincidence.

Ant Trails
As the ant population grows, the workers will leave the nest and begin looking for other sources of food and shelter. Ants typically migrate in a line, with one ant following another following another and so on. If you see a trail of ants in your home, follow the trail back to the source. If it leads into your home, contact an exterminator right away.

If ants are inside your home, Gopher Patrol of Riverside, CA can defeat them with our monthly pest control program. Because of the sheer number of ants that may be present in your home, we recommend on-going pest control, at least until the problem is dealt with. To schedule an appointment with one of our pest control experts, call us today at (855) 460-0564.

A Look at the Most Common Forms of Gopher Control

Gophers may be cute and fury, but they are best known for their ability to destroy lawns and gardens. In just a few days, a hungry gopher can lay waste to your beautiful yard, creating unsightly dirt mounds and raised tunnels. Fortunately, these pesky rodents are easy to control with the help of a gopher removal expert. If you are battling gophers on your own, hire a gopher control company to get rid of these pests for good. Here is a look at some of the most common forms of gopher control used by experts.

Gopher Probe

No matter which method is used, the key to successfully treating a gopher problem is identifying where the gopher channels are underground. Gophers typically traverse the same channels, so placing baits and traps in these tunnels is the first step to treating a gopher infestation. To determine where the gopher channels are located, your technician will use a specially designed gopher probe.

Baiting and Trapping

After identifying where the gopher channels are, a combination of baits and traps will be placed directly into the tunnels approximately 10 feet apart depending on where the mounds are located and on their vicinity to your home. Toxic bait and quick-kill traps are very effective, but multiple treatments are necessary to ensure that the gophers have not channeled their way around them.

Fencing

Although not as effective as baits or traps, fencing may be used to control a gopher problem around your home. Hardware cloth or mesh poultry wire buried at least two feet deep around your yard can keep gophers out, but it is not 100% effective (as gophers may simply burrow deeper to go underneath the fence). Fencing is also much more expensive and labor intensive than installing baits and traps.

If you’re fighting a losing battle with the gophers in your yard, call in the experts at Gopher Patrol of Riverside. With over 15 years of experience in the gopher removal business, we know what it takes toeliminate gophers from your property for good. Visit our website or call us at (888) 466-4674 to learn why we are the trusted gopher removal experts in Southern California.