A rodent infestation can have effects that harm not only a person’s home but also their belongings and their health. It is important to handle this type of situation quickly and properly in order to eliminate the rodents from your home in Acadiana and decrease the risk of disease or bites. A professional rodent exterminator can properly take care of an issue like this in expert fashion and rid your home from these unwanted visitors. Some of the effects of a rodent infestation are quite severe and serious and should never be taken lightly.

Bites

A rodent residing in an Acadiana home can mean the residents are at risk for getting bitten. While it’s not overly common for a rodent to simply walk up to a human and bite them it can still happen during the night or if you are trying to trap the rodent on your own, without the help of a professional. It’s important never to handle a rodent on your own as a rodent can carry a number of diseases such as salmonella, rabies and meningitis. In total, rodents have been known to carry 34 different diseases according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Contamination of Food

Rodents need food just like any other living being and they have a knack for making their way into cupboards or pantries to obtain their next meal. If you suspect you have a rodent infestation in your Acadiana home you should never leave food out on the counter tops. If a rodent simply touches the food or eats some of it, it can become immediately contaminated. They have also been known to defecate on food items that are left out or that they are able to get into. Make sure to keep your food in tight containers that will keep rodents out. It’s easy to miss a sign that something has been munching on your food but try to pay attention so you don’t inadvertently consume something that could be contaminated.

Contaminated Air

Even by taking the best precautions for a rodent infestation, you may still be in harm’s way by just sharing your space with these pests. Rodents can contaminate the air you breathe inside your home in Acadiana. We breathe dust particles that are floating around our air all the time but what you don’t know is that those particles can become contaminated by rodent urine and feces. Your entire household can become very ill with illnesses such as Hemorrhagic Fever or Lymphocytic Chorio-Meningitis. Rodent urine in the air can bother a number of people who are susceptible to allergy and asthma symptoms. It’s always best to call an exterminator quickly when you discover that you are having an issue in your home with rodents. In the meantime you can run an air purifier designed to trap dust particles and airborne illnesses to protect yourself and your family members.

Electrical Dangers

Rodents like to get into small spaces and cause a lot of trouble in a very short amount of time. Something rodents are known for doing is chewing through electrical wires for appliances or electronics in the home but also they can gain access to the wiring in your home. If they chew through wires inside the walls or attic in your home, this can leave an unseen danger. Fires can start from damaged wires and you may not even know there was a problem present.

Structural Dangers

Rodents usually have hiding spaces within a wall, in the attic, in the ceiling or behind cupboards. This grants them access to the structural wood within your home. If you have a persistent rodent or a number of them present they can chew on the wood that is holding your home together and cause a great deal of structural damage. Not only is this dangerous but it is also expensive to repair after you have had a rodent exterminator come and rectify the situation. Rodents cause more than $2 billion in damage each year in the United States.

Pet Danger

Even when rodents have been completely exterminated from the home they often leave behind their disease as well as fleas, mites and ticks that are carriers of the diseases. These parasites now need a new host and they may turn to your beloved pets to use for their home. It’s sometimes a good idea to get your cats, dogs and other animals checked out when you know there have been rodents in the home to make sure that they are safe and won’t transmit disease to family members long after the rodents have gone.

Some signs to watch out for if you suspect a rodent infestation are rodent feces, chew marks, nesting and scratching or scampering in rooms or in walls. You may also come across electrical or structural damage if you happen to be doing work inside your home and this is an excellent indicator there is a rodent infestation present and professional help is needed immediately.

If you live in the Acadiana region or surrounding areas contact Sugarland Exterminating to help with your current rodent problem before things get out of hand. We offer rodent control services as well as termite and pest control.