Small Animal & Rodent control specialists in Staten Island | Exterminators
Rodent issues can cause a wide array of problems for a property and the inhabitants, including property damage as well as disease.
Rats and mice have no bones, their entire skeletal system is made up of cartilage. This is how they are able to squeeze themselves into tiny spaces like the gaps under doors and windows. Properly sealing property against rodents is important and very challenging for this reason.
Once they are inside the property they breed quickly and can cause damage to the interior of your walls, ceilings, and floors with droppings and other debris.
Prevention is key
Ridding your property of rodent infestation can take several visits from a pest control specialist like us. The better way is to properly prevent them from entering in the first place.
This can include sealing vent gaps, door gaps, windows, and more. All of these tiny spaces are potential entrance points for mice and other rodents.
Choose a rodent control company that will be able to get someone into your home who has experience in sealing perimeters and preventing rodents from entering in the first place.
Keeping rats and mice from entering your home
During the summertime when the weather is nice is when you should be checking your home for access points and sealing them up. The summer is good because rodents are also less inclined to invade at this time. They typically will look for homes to enter when the weather starts to get cold. This is when they breed and hibernate.
The history of rodent control in New York
Rats and mice have been responsible for or implicated in the spread of various diseases to people and domestic animals for many years.
Major improvements in sanitation, medicine, and pest control have made the rodent problem in New York City much less severe. Even though the threat is now relatively small, it should still be kept in mind. A problem can start and quickly become out of hand in just a couple of weeks!
Rodent control in Staten Island has become a bigger issue since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Hurricane Sandy, as all Staten Island residents know, caused major issues for the borough in more ways than one. Homes and property were destroyed. Borough-wide flooding and heavy rains caused power outages that lasted for weeks.
Rodents were displaced all over the borough, leading to more invasions than ever before. When their homes are destroyed, they look for new places to take up residence. Unfortunately, that usually tends to be our homes!
Heavy rains and destruction of property (intentional or otherwise), can trigger rodent infestation. If there is construction going on near your home, be cautious of the rodent threat that sometimes comes with it.
Additional Staten Island rodent control facts
Staten Island is known for the largest open grassy areas and forests of any of the five boroughs of New York City. It just so happens that these are a mouse’s favorite places to live and grow.
Mice are durable little creatures that naturally live in forests and grasslands, but have acquired a taste for taking up residency in man made structures. The availability of food and warmth are the main reasons for this. Rodents have it made living in our homes!
When living in the wild, mice burrow underground. Burrowing helps to protect them from natural predators and anything else that could do them harm. Burrowing tends to be much easier here in grassy Staten Island than it is in Manhattan or Brooklyn!
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How can I tell if I have mice?
Rats, mice, rabbits, and other rodents will leave common signs that they are out and about. Keep an eye out for these few things to notice immediately when you might have a special guest in your home. If you don’t notice any of these signs of rodents, the coast is usually clear.
Top 10 signs of rodents to look for at home
- Droppings or feces
- Tracks
- Gnawing damage
- Burrows
- Runways
- Grease marks or rub marks
- Urine stains
- Can be discovered with a blacklight.
- Live or dead rodents
- Rodent sounds
- Scratching in the walls, cielings, etc.
- Rodent odors (especially mice)
Common Staten Island rodent types
Here are some of the rodent types that are most often found on Staten Island. Not to be confused with animal control, which is another service we can provide.
There may be others that you have had experience with not included in this short list. Let us know so that we can add more information and create a better experience for our readers! We are happy to hear from you with comments!
The Opossum
The Opossum is one of the most common Staten Island residents when it comes to the rodent population. Raccoons and Opossums are nocturnal and can occasionally be caught in the head lights of your car as you drive along.
Other than that, they are known for the mess that they leave behind. Opossums will tear up your trash looking for food.
They like to nest in warm places. This, paired with the fact that we have been destroying much of their natural habitat, will lead to Opossums seeking shelter in car wheel wells and homes that they can find their way into.
Setting traps using food is generally the best way to lure them out.
Common House Mouse
The most common mouse that you would find in the Staten Island and greater New York City area is the short haired house mouse. these mice can appear in brown, white or gray colors or any combination imaginable.
One of the things house mice are known most for is their ability to reproduce very quickly. This can spell disaster for a homeowner with a mouse problem that could rapidly become out of hand. Quick and accurate treatment and trapping are necessary more for these than any other pests.
General trapping is the best way to take care of this problem. With more serious issues, a fumigation is also an option for extermination. Peanut butter or cheese are good options in luring them out for trapping.
Rodent Control Staten Island
For the best rodent control specialists available in the Staten Island and New Jersey areas, get in touch with Annihilator Exterminators. Our skilled technicians, know-how, and passion for pest control make us the best local option around.