House and field mice usually live in structures, but they can survive outdoors too. They prefer dark, secluded areas and build their nests out of insulation materials. Although they are nocturnal, they can also be spotted during the day. They can carry disease and contaminate your food storage, having been linked to salmonella through their feces. Additionally, they can cause allergies in children and bring fleas, ticks, and other mites into your home and onto your pets.
There are two types of rats usually spotted in New Jersey: the Norway rat and the roof rat. Norway rats are nocturnal, and they frequently forage at dusk and right before dawn. They eat several times a night and prefer meat, fish, cereal, and dog food. To get to a food source, they are known to gnaw through anything, even up to lead pipes.
Meanwhile, roof rats live in colonies and prefer to nest in the upper parts of a building, such as rafters and attics. They generally prefer covered or roofed habitats. Eating shrubbery and fruit trees, these rats also show a particular love for vegetable gardens.
The eastern gray squirrel is active throughout the year. It primarily eats nuts, berries, and other plant materials. Aside from building leaf nests using tree cavities, it can also use chimneys, attics, and soffits to den. It causes problems because of its habit of digging yards, destroying bird feeders, and destroying structures to get into your home.
Furthermore, squirrels tend to gnaw on wires, and they frequently get trapped in chimneys and flews. The nocturnal flying squirrel can access even smaller areas of your home due to their more diminutive stature and are commonly found in attics.
Although bats are essential to the ecosystem, they can become a problem for homeowners and businesses. Bats resort to moving into human structures due to the loss of their natural habitats, such as caves and trees with exfoliating bark.
Bats are not rodents but enter your home in a similar fashion. Most commonly, via entry points under facia boards that lead to your attic.
Bat colonies living in human structures can be noisy and can create unpleasant droppings, odors, and even bat bugs. However, they do not cause structural damage or chew on wires or wood. The best way to deal with them is by exclusion since it is illegal in New Jersey to exterminate bats. Our Bat exclusion work follows NJ state laws and regulations.
Whether it be mice, rats or squirrels, one portion of the treatment remains the same. The exterior of your building needs to be checked thoroughly for entry points and harborage areas. Having rodents in a structure is only the symptom of a problem. Identifying and fixing points of entry is extremely important for long term relief. The rest of your treatment will not be successful without first understanding why there is an issue to begin with. When dealing with mice and rats, Mantis will look for and correct basic points of entry such as a gap around a dryer vent. We will also notify our client of any larger issues that we can not personally correct. One example is a garage or basement door that will not close properly. There are several remedies for dealing with the actual mice and/or rats after the first step is complete. Each situation can be different and will be discussed during your consultation.
As for squirrels, Mantis will seal all entry points, but leaving one open, for the installation of a one way tunnel. This tunnel will allow squirrels to exit the building without having access back in. After verification that all squirrels are gone, we will take down the tunnel and close the last entry point. Feel free to call Mantis Pest Control anytime to discuss your specific rodent issue.