Rodent Droppings pictured above                                                                            Norway Rat and Roof Rat in picture above.



                    
  

Rodent Droppings - Rodents have high metabolisms, and they leave many droppings, often thousands, in an attic where they live.  These droppings may or may not smell bad, but they are unsightly and they do carry disease that people can contract if they come into contact with the droppings.

Rodent Urine - You can see some water-stained areas on the sheetrock.  These are actually urine stains.  Rodent urine has a pheromone scent that attracts new rats to the area.

Rodent Grease - Rodents have some sort of brown grease in their fur.  This grease also has the pheromone scent.  When rats travel the same area over and over, this area becomes stained brown.  You might notice the brown staining on the top wooden beam, especially where the gray wire crosses the beam.

Chewing on Wires - This is perhaps the most dangerous damage that rats cause, because if they expose the copper inside, and it touches the wood beams, you've got a recipe for an electrical fire in your attic, and yes, this'll likely burn your house down.

Chewing on Valuables - You can see the bits of paper chewed on.  If you store things in your attic, the rats will chew on them and destroy them.  I'm assuming that you're storing stuff in your attic because you want to keep it, rather than throw it out, but when the rats get done chewing and pooping on your stuff, you'll probably rather throw it out anyway.

Matted Insulation - Rats run over and over the insulation, and mat it down, reducing the insulation's R-Value and effectiveness.  They also clear out insulation in areas as they collect it for nesting material.  Lower insulation of course raises your heating and cooling bills - not that this is your biggest worry if you have a rat infestation.

Dead Rats - Of course, the dead rat in this photo is dead because of the trap that I've set.  However, rats don't live very long, and they often die inside the attic, and when they do, they cause a horrible odor as they rot and decay.

Okay then, you now realize the damage that rodents cause in an attic.  How do you prevent rodent damage in the attic?  By calling AmeriGuard for a full service Rodent program. This entails the sealing of 100% of the rodent entry points into the house, the trapping and removal of all rodents inside, and a full attic cleanup to remedy the mess and the scent that they leave.  Call 951-652-0505 today.

   
Rodent Bait Boxes with bait blocks

Rodent Baiting Plan
Most locations in Southern California are under constant pressure from rodents. In these cases we recommend an exterior baiting program to go along with either our exclusion or trapping programs. Exterior baiting will be conducted on a monthly basis. Rodent consumption levels will be recorded and available upon request.

Rodent Exclusion Plan

Killing the Rats and mice you have is only half of the problem. Exclusion is the process of making sure new mice can't get in to nest in your home.  A careful inspection of openings around attic spaces, pier-and-beam foundations, etc. is necessary. Holes can by blocked with 1/4 inch opening wire mesh found at your local hardware store, or metal flashing. Small openings can be blocked with steel wool. AmeriGuard will give a free exclusion inspection and exclusion quote for every person who orders a rodent baiting or trapping service.

Rodent Clean-up Plan

Hantavirus is a group of viruses that are carried by rodents. It is contracted primarily by inhaling airborne particles from rodent droppings, urine or saliva left by infected rodents or through direct contact with infected rodents.  The deer mouse is the most common carrier of hantavirus, but other rodents can be possible carriers without showing any signs of illness.The length of time hantaviruses can remain infectious in the environment is variable and depends on environmental conditions.  The bottom line is that you can't tell how old a dropping is, so all rodent droppings should be handled as if they are infectious. 

AmeriGuard Pest can provide you with a quote on cleaning up and decontaminating areas where there is a presence of rodent excrement (feces, urine, or saliva).  These services are specialized and require the use of personal protective equipment such as tyvex suits, respirators, and sanitizers.  To schedule a visit,  Call 951-652-0505