New Jersey pest control professionals warn residents that mice and rats are always on the hunt for a warm and toasty place to spend the cold wintertime.  Garages and especially NJ homes provide ample living conditions for these pesky home invaders.

They are curious, cold, and above all else…always hungry.  They don’t care that they are dirty, or that they carry fleas, ticks, or can transmit a variety of dangerous diseases.  They are not toilet trained and will not hesitate to drop urine or feces throughout your home.  They won’t ask for food, they just take it…ripping packages and containers open by using their razor sharp teeth.  They prefer grain type food, but these hungry rodents will settle for anything to fill their bottomless pit stomachs.  Any food that is not sufficiently stored will become part of their menu plan.

Fall is a good time to check your home for rat and mice entry points.  Seal any holes or cracks where entry can be made into your home.  Trim branches and shrubbery away from the roof, windows and exterior walls.  Wood piles should be kept away from your home to discourage easy access to your structure.  Seal exterior pipes with expanding foam to discourage mice entry.  Rats and mice are prolific breeders so it’s important to call a NJ pest control professional at the first sign of their presence.

Rats and mice are the worst house guest that you can have entering your home.  Even if your home is sealed up tight, you could experience an invasion from these cleaver creatures.  Rodent control should not stop during the winter months.  If you find that you have mice or rat activity at your house, contact a licensed pest control specialist before these critters multiply out-of-control.

The winter months are fast approach on the east coast and humans are not the only ones that are gearing up for the cold months ahead.  New York City and New Jersey pest control professionals report that many other creatures that spend the warmer months outdoors are now looking for a warm spot to hunker down in to escape the upcoming blast of Old Man Winter.

It may begin as an unexplained bang here or there, or maybe some strange scratching noises, or perhaps you’ll hear scampering in your attic, ceiling or wall voids.  The threat of rodents entering your attic is a problem says pest control experts.  Raccoons and squirrels are common rodents that invade homes as the winter months approach.  These pests often cause serious problems for residents in New York and New Jersey as they chew through electrical wiring causing electrical shorts and a fire hazard.  Once these pests arrive, they send pheromones out to others of their species inviting them to join them.

Raccoons are extremely agile creatures that will gain access to your home by tearing attic vents, soffits, and even shingles and roofing boards up.  Their paws are strong and resemble those of a human with long claws attached. Raccoons are curious creatures and scavengers that leave a trail of destruction in their wake.  Raccoons use attics at a nesting site to raise their young and reside as a family.  They defecate and urinate at will, causing serious damage and health threats to humans.

Squirrels may seem fun to watch as they frolic in the trees and garden, but once they gain access to your home, they are a menacing pest to encounter.  Squirrels can squeeze into small openings and gain access to an attic.  If they opportunity presents itself, squirrels won’t hesitate to venture into the main area of the house, helping themselves to food and causing enormous damage as well.

Raccoon and squirrels should not be poisoned to be eliminated and should instead be trapped by a licensed pest control professional with experience in rodent removal services.  For expert services in New York and New Jersey, contact Stern Environmental Group.

Research has shown that the house mouse has proven to be very intelligent.  In fact, mammalogists around the world rate the common house mouse as the second most successful mammal on earth, trailing behind humans.

The house mouse is able to live and thrive under a variety of conditions.  You will easily find them in homes, business, open fields and agricultural areas.  The house mouse may look unassuming and even cute to some people, with their oversized ears and small eyes, but they are considered to be a troublesome pest that seriously impacts the economy in all parts of the United States.

The house mouse can be gray or brown in color with a white belly, weighs ½ ounce, and will grow to about 7 inches long (including the tail) at adulthood.  New York City pest control experts report that the house mouse is a serious threat to homes and commercial structures because they consume and contaminate massive amounts of food products.  They prefer to dine on cereal grains, but will eat any food that is meant for humans or pets.  Mice can enter a structure via holes as small as the size of a pencil so it’s important to seal up holes to ensure that mice are kept outdoors.

Besides the economic problems that having mice create, mice can also cause serious health problems for humans.  Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a common rodent-borne disease that is contracted by humans, which is fatal in over half of the diagnosed cases.  Hantavirus is transmitted when the dust that is contaminated in rodent urine or feces is breathed in.  Hantavirus often goes undetected because the symptoms mimic the flu with headaches, nausea, rapid shallow breathing, vomiting and dry cough.  Humans are also at risk of contracting Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM) and Salmonellosis from the house mouse.

Properly controlling mice can be achieved by hiring a New York City pest control expert with experience in mice removal.

Rats and New York City go together like peas and carrots.  There are rats roaming the alleyways, rats on the rooftops, rats pilfering through garbage cans, rats frolicking in droves in the parks, rats in restaurants, rats in hotels and motels, rats underground, rats above ground, rats in the daytime, rats at night, and rats burrowing along homes, apartments, and businesses.  Everywhere you look; it’s hard to not see a rat in New York City!

New York City rats are notorious for their day and nighttime antics throughout the entire subway system.  NYC rats have lived within the subways for decades.  Entire families of rats live within the cinderblock walls according to NYC pest control experts.  Each cinderblock can house between 8 to 12 rats, so you can see why the rats are so problematic.  Much to the passenger’s dismay, rats are often seen boldly roaming the platform areas and tracks in search of a tasty treat that has been discarded by passengers.

In the past, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has tried to kill off the rodents by tossing poison bait packs onto the subway tracks, but to date, those tactics have not knocked the rat population down.

Despite the efforts put forth by renowned rat expert, Bobby Corrigan, to help the city get rid of the rats within the subway system, the rats remain.  Subway stations have trash rooms where trash is collected and stored until it is disposed of.  The trash rooms serve as a daily rat buffet for colonies of rats within the subway system.  The mishandling of subway station refuse is one of the primary reasons that the rat population has been able to continue to thrive in New York City.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.

Continuing from Monday…

Mice enter homes and commercial establishments, including schools, to feast on all types of food products.  They are a particular problem in with winter months as they work their way indoors to seek shelter from the cold east coast temperatures.  Once you have a mouse infestation indoors, it can be difficult to eradicate the filthy pests.

New York or New Jersey mice infestations can cause serious health problems for humans.  Mice can carry the Sin Nombre virus which can lead to humans contracting Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).  Humans are  susceptible to HPS when they come in contact with mice or rat droppings which contain the virus.  There is no vaccine for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and once symptoms occur, it is important that immediate medical attention is received.

New York and New Jersey pest control experts say that mice infestations are fairly easy to detect by the trail of evidence that they leave behind.

•  Mice have a constant need to gnaw so keep on the look-out for gnawing, especially on wood.

•  Look for mice droppings (feces) along walls, in cabinets, in drawers, in boxes etc.  Mice leave many droppings in their path as they scurry.

•  Keep a watch out for dribbles or pools of urine.

•  Look for nibbling on food containers.  Mice have sharp teeth and can easily gain access to most any food item that is brought into your home or business.

•  Mice will build their nests in warm and cozy areas that are well hidden.  Look for nesting materials that contain fabric, hair, thread, paper, grass or twigs.

Rodents are typically nocturnal creatures.  Unless you have a large infestation, you won’t usually see the actual pests during the daytime hours.  If you are sharing your home or business with rodents, it is important to call a licensed pest control professional who knows how to provide the proper rodent removal services and rodent prevention techniques to eliminate future rodent infestations.  Stern Environmental Group provides professional experienced service to New York City, Manhattan, New York and parts of New Jersey.