4 Early Signs of a Rodent Infestation

Rodents can easily settle in your home without your knowledge. In fact, you might only detect their presence once they start to breed and create a serious infestation. By the time you realize the severity of a rodent infestation in your home, you may already have issues such as chewed electrical wires and contaminated surfaces.

Before things get out of hand, identify these telltale signs of a rodent infestation.

1. Rodent droppings

Rats and mice leave behind distinctive droppings that you can easily identify. You are likely to notice droppings long before you see these critters. You can expect to find droppings near food sources such as pantries and drawers. You could also find rodent droppings around the pests' nesting sites.

Depending on the appearance of these droppings, you can tell the type of rodent, severity of the infestation and the sites with the most pest activity. Mouse droppings are dark brown and about a half-centimetre long with pointed ends. Rat droppings, on the other hand, are at least a centimetre long. Fresh rat or mouse droppings are moist, shiny and dark. Old droppings appear hard, dusty and grey and tend to crumble when you touch them.

Remember to protect yourself if you decide to collect droppings you see on your floors and countertops. Use protective gloves and sealed plastic bags when you handle the fecal matter. Rodent droppings are known to transmit diseases such as Lassa fever, tularemia and murine typhus. So, do not sweep away or vacuum the droppings, as they may spread harmful pathogens to the rest of your home.

2. Strange noises 

You are likely to hear strange noises at night if you have a severe rodent problem. Rodents are nocturnal creatures, which explains why they are so active at night.

Look out for the following noises that often suggest a rodent infestation:

• Gnawing noises. Rodents constantly chew their way into new hiding spaces. You may hear gnawing noises as they chew on paper or wooden baseboards.
• Scurrying or scratching noises. As mice and rats move from one place to another, they dig their claws into surfaces for a better grip. Therefore, expect scurrying noises as they hurry their feet in search of food.
• Squeaking noises. At night, when everything is silent, rodent sounds are often much more conspicuous. You might hear squeaking sounds from your roof void as the critters interact in their nests.

At the first sign of a rodent infestation, call an exterminator to eliminate these unwanted pests. The experts can also inspect your home for suitable rodent hiding spots and locate any entry points.

3. Odd pet behaviour

Most pets have great hearing and an incredible sense of smell. Therefore, they can easily sense if rodents are present in your home. You may notice some unusual activity from your pet if they catch a whiff of these critters.

For instance, some dogs may stare and fixate on the rodent's active site. Other times, your dog could scrape the floor or scratch the wall vigorously if they sense anything unusual. Once you notice such odd behaviour, do not ignore your pet. Instead, ask your pest control service to inspect your home for further confirmation.

You need to act fast before a minor rodent infestation turns into a nightmare. Once you notice any of these signs, reach out to licenced exterminators like Champion Pest Control Pty Ltd as soon as you can. We can visit your property, look over the signs of rodent activity and provide treatment so that you can have peace of mind in your home. Please let us know of any questions or concerns you have.