Rodent Identification & Prevention
What are rodents?
Rodents are a type of mammal that can be found throughout most of the world, and many species including mice and rats have adapted to living near people, which makes Alabama the perfect place. Rodents are prolific breeders and voracious eaters; this means they are continuously searching for food. Unfortunately, our homes and businesses often provide mice, rats, and other rodents with their basic needs. Rodents are part of the order “Rodentia.” Rodentia means “to gnaw” and is what these furry creatures are well-known for. All rodents, no matter the species, have front incisors that are constantly growing which means rodents are constantly chewing to prevent overgrowth.
Rodents tend to be a year-round problem and we need to take great care to make our properties as unappealing as possible in order to keep them away from our families, homes, and personal belongings.
Are rodents dangerous?
Mice and rats pose many serious dangers to your family and your home's structure. The high metabolism of a rodent causes it to process the food it eats quickly and produce a lot of waste. As rodents travel through a home, they contaminate food and surfaces with their excrement. Rodents spread bacteria, disease-causing pathogens, and parasites that make people ill. An unpleasant musty odor often develops near where rodents build their nest from the build-up of urine and excrement.
Mice and rats love to chew on things to help keep their teeth from overgrowing. This need to chew means rodents will gnaw on wires, pipes, drywall, wallpaper, flooring, furniture, clothing, and other structural and personal items once they find their way inside your home. A rodent’s chewing habits may cause short circuits, which can lead to fires. Holes made by rodents in pipes may lead to water damage and mold issues. In addition, when rodents move into sheds or garages, they can damage cars, lawnmowers, and other equipment by nesting inside them or chewing on wires and cables.
How can I prevent rodents in the future?
To help stop mice and rats from taking over your Alabama property, we want to offer some easy-to-execute pest prevention tips:
Block entry points into your home; make sure to seal any cracks and crevices, seal spaces around utilities, and place covers over vents.
Cut tree branches and shrubbery back away from the exterior of your home.
Make sure the seals under and around exterior doors, sliding glass doors, or garage doors are intact.
Keep trash cans, compost bins, and recycling bins away from the outside of your home and make sure they have tight-fitting lids on them.
Rodents love bird seed, remove bird feeders from your property, or place them at the edge of your property away from your home.
Store pet food in plastic or metal containers with locking lids.
Inside your home, keep floors and counters clear of crumbs and other food debris and vacuum floors regularly.
Only eat in the kitchen or dining room.
Inside, keep storage areas clear of debris and organized to limit the number of rodent hiding spots.
Hear From Our Happy Customers
Serving Auburn, AL Since 2020
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Very professional and polite, he allowed me to ask questions and he explained every single thing he did to prevent pests during our initial visit.- Victoria M.
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Prewett Pest Control did a great job for our church. They were immediately responsive, and all of their representatives were courteous, polite, and knowledgeable.- Rusty J.
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He talked to me let know exactly what he was going to do.I am very happy with the results.- Hazel P.
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Richard came out and inspected our property and he did a phenomenal and thorough job making note of anything he saw that may cause potential issues and even offering suggestions.- Cher C.
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Great Service and very good customer service. The best. A asset to the company. Very professional. Would recommend. Justin Pearce is good at his job.- William H.
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Stan from Prewett Pest Control recently provided me with another outstanding quarterly pest control service at my property.- Mazzi A.
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Big shout out to the Prewett Pest Control crew serving the Auburn area (Justin, Matthew and Ryan).
- Stanley S. -
The Prewett team is great! Stan was friendly and knowledgeable! He answered all of my questions with ease.- Melissa F.