The Most Effective Rodent Control Solution For Westchester County Properties

When you have found a solution to a problem, there is a sense of satisfaction from the amount of work and effort you invested. Although Parkway Pest Services will bring the experience, tools, and knowledge needed to remove rodents from your house, we want to offer you a chance to join us by providing some answers about rodents. Please continue to read our brief article to learn more about rodent removal and what you can do to be a continuing part of the solution after we have eradicated the rodents from your home.

Types Of Rodents Common To The Area

Before we list the types of rodents in the Westchester area, we need to have a working definition of rodents. A rodent is a mammal with four legs, two eyes, two ears, a tail, and fur. Of course, that description could describe a pet, so it doesn't seem too helpful, so let's expand it. The primary distinction for a rodent is its pair of upper and lower constantly growing incisor teeth. Gophers, voles, and moles use these large teeth to grind through roots and dirt to create underground tunnels and nesting areas. Beavers use their incisor teeth to cut down small trees to build their lodges in ponds and marshes. Of course, most of us have probably witnessed a squirrel or two chewing through acorns and other nuts with their teeth.

The rodents mentioned would also be considered wildlife, but rats and mice are commensal rodents. Commensal means to "share a table," and rats and mice have no problem sharing a house with humans. Although there are many types of rats and mice, these are common in the Westchester area:

• Deer mice
• House mice
• Roof rats
• Norway rats

Let's start with the more adorable ones first, the mice.

Although they do not look like deer, their fur has the same coloration; thus, they are called deer mice. These deceptively cute but dangerous creatures have a 5 to 8-inch brown body with white feet and underbelly. The best way to distinguish deer mice from others is their bi-colored half-brown half-white long tails. When deer mice enter Westchester homes, they find shelter in storage boxes, wall voids, and spaces in the basement or attic.

House mice invade homes more than deer mice. Hailing from Central Asia, these mice breed rapidly and are adaptable. They have a dusty grey to brown coat with a creamy belly. Not including their hairless tail, house mice are only 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches long, which means they are smaller than deer mice. (add 2 3/4 to 4 inches for the tail.) Inside homes, house mice gravitate to dark corners and warm areas behind appliances.

Roof rats live in the attic and upper parts of a home. These long, thin rodents have brown fur with black hair interspersed throughout. They may have a grey, white, or black underbelly. The total length of a roof rat's body is 16 inches, including the long, thin scaly tail.

While roof rats invade the upper parts of a house, Norway rats are content to stay on the lower levels. Originally believed to have come to America from Norwegian ships, these colorblind animals have coarse brown fur with black hairs, much like roof rats. Although their body, including the tail, is the same length as a roof rat's, it is heavier and round, not slender. When Norway rats enter a Westchester house and find food and shelter, they seek shelter in the basement or under piles of debris in undisturbed areas.

Although different types of rodents infest Westchester County homes, they are no match for Parkway Pest Services. Decades of rodent removal experience, training, and knowledge give us the tools to eliminate your rodent problem.