Rat and Mouse Control
North America is home to three types of common rat-like rodents: the House Mouse, the Norway Rat, and the Roof Rat. You can find these small mammals hanging out just about anywhere, including apartment complexes, surburban houses, office buildings, and other places where humans generate garbage. It's not uncommon for for small wood mice to enter buildings if they are close enough to fields or other wooded areas, but it happens enough that it is worth mentioning in this article.
Rats, Mice, and the Damage They Cause
Over the past millenia, rats and rodents have done a great job of spreading disease around the planet. Their most notable work was during the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague. They are incredibly resilient creatures, find their way into small spaces, and are so frightened of other creatures that they may stay hidden for days at a time, resurfacing for food or water.
Modern Diseases Carried by Rodents
Luckily, humans are much more sanitary and our waste removal methods have gone beyond tossing garbage and excrement into the streets. It's extremely unlikely for a human to contract a disease from a rat nowadays, mostly due to efforts from wildlife managment specialists who trap and kill and most pest rodents like rats.
Potential Damage to Your Home
It's no secret that rats and mice love to chew on things. When a rat or mouse finds something new and exciting to chew on, they go to town. Rats and mice from the wild will look at the wiring of your home like it is a delicacy. They'll enjoy the first layer of paper on a sheet of drywall and the crumbling plaster beneath it as they sharpend their incisors for the next course: the ductwork in your attic.
Rodent Movement Patterns
Once a rodent has made its home inside yours, they will not leave unless forced to, or trapped and killed. Its in their nature to stay in a 50 yard radius of where they are getting food and shelter. Within that radius, there are plenty of things for them to chew and destroy, and most likely a steady supply of food. Make sure that you are not leaving garbage uncovered in the garage, outside your home, or even inside your home. Invest in garbage cans with lids to help ward off raccoons, some types of birds, and other small nuisance wildlife.