Winter Pest Control: Protecting Your Home from Mice & Rats in Dayton, OH

Winter season is upon us in the Dayton area, which means shorter days and colder nights. When it’s uncomfortable outside, and you just want to cozy up where it’s nice and warm, you can be assured that the common house mouse couldn’t agree more. Mice top the list for the most common complaint we receive during the winter months. While most other bugs slow down until warmer weather arrives, mice are busy making your home theirs!

Believe it or not, some people feel sorry for mice and think they are cute and are just trying to survive the elements, but you do not want them overtaking your home. Once these pests enter your home, they seek out your food and begin wreaking havoc.

One pair of mice alone will consume approximately 4 pounds of food and deposit 18,000 droppings. You heard that right, 18,000!!!

Generally speaking, they will contaminate about 10 times what they eat. They are also common carriers of the following diseases: Salmonella Food Poisoning, Rickettsial Pox, Meningitis, Leptospirosis, and Ringworm.

Aside from contaminating your food source and the risk of disease transmission, mice will damage other products in your home as they begin to explore, including books, paper products, and family heirlooms in storage, you name it! Mice are also well-known for chewing on electric wiring and power cords, causing major concern for starting a fire in your home.

The Common House Mouse

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a highly adaptable creature who thrives in various conditions. They feed on nearly every type of human food and reproduce at an incredible rate (more on that in a bit). They are found throughout the U.S. and are the most common rodent problem in the Dayton, Ohio, area. Let’s talk about identification.

The appearance of the Common House Mouse

Although it may vary slightly from region to region, the typical mouse generally has a fairly common appearance. An adult mouse will be gray or medium brown over most of its body, with a lighter shade on the underbelly (not white). They have moderately large ears compared to the rest of the body and a tail nearly hairless and about as long as their body. The overall length is generally 2 ¼ to 4 inches long, and they have relatively small feet and eyes.

The life cycle of the Common House Mouse Behavior

Mice generally nest outdoors, with peak breeding seasons during spring and fall. However, under optimal conditions (such as in your home). A single female mouse may produce up to 10 liters per year, which is about 50 baby mice!! Within 3 weeks of birth, newborn mice will begin to take short trips away from the nest and take solid food.

The Common House Mouse Behavior

Mice have very poor eyesight and rely heavily on smell, taste, touch, and hearing. One keen sense they possess is touch and therefore rely on their sensitive whiskers as they feel their way along walls, burrows, and passageways. Mice also have a fantastic sense of balance as well as some other impressive physical abilities, which include:

Ability to jump up to 12 inches off the ground
Run up nearly any vertical service
Run horizontally along an electric wire
Squeeze through an opening approximately ¼ inch (about the size of your thumb)
Very capable swimmers
Able to jump from a height of 8 feet to the floor and survive.

Mice are most active at night and regularly cover a designated area or territory. Mice are naturally inquisitive and often explore and check out new objects within their territory. This helps the pros at Dayton Pest Control come up with a plan to stop them from overtaking your home. By understanding their habits, we can present baits and traps in a way that will encourage them to interact with this “new” object and therefore eliminate your problem.

Looking for Rodent Control Services in Dayton, OH?

Dayton Pest Control has plenty of experience in dealing with rodent problems. We can safely use top-of-the-line products to keep your family safe and healthy while eliminating unwanted rodents from your home or business.

A quick phone conversation or a general inspection is often enough to get the ball rolling to protect your home and keep a small mouse problem from becoming a large one. Give us a call today!

WE’RE PROMPT

Need same day service? Call us at 937-478-5776 before 12:00 PM, Monday through Friday!

WE’RE PROFESSIONAL

We know you’re putting a lot of trust in our hands. Our team is highly trained and trustworthy.

WE’RE PARENTS, TOO

We do our work in a way that ensures your family is kept safe before, during, and after service.

Pest Control In Dayton: What are the Most Common Spring Pests in Dayton OH?

The season of spring signals new beginnings, new ideas, rejuvenation, and regrowth.

Along with all of this comes unwelcome pests who find their way into your homes, yards, garages, and business properties.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common spring pests to watch for as warmer weather seeps into Dayton, Ohio.

1) Ants

Ants can be one of the most annoying pests. Fortunately, most of the ant species in the Greater Dayton area don’t bite or sting like the fire ants that inhabit Ohio. Some of the most populous ants in Dayton & nearby areas in Ohio are:

1) Odorous House Ant,

2) Pavement Ants,

3) Pharaoh Ants and

4) Carpenter Ants.

To prevent ant infestations:

1) Seal cracks around doors and windows and within foundations.
2) Prune away shrubs and branches near the home.
3) Keep floors and surfaces clear of food particles.

However, if DIY is not your thing and you are looking for an affordable & effective ant control service in Dayton, Ohio, call us at Dayton Pest Control, Ohio, today!

2) Cockroaches

In Dayton, roaches are a problem all year-round. Keeping your home sparkling clean may help with keeping them out, but sometimes you might have a full-blown infestation in your home without you even knowing it.

Typically, there are four types of cockroaches in Dayton and nearby areas in Ohio.

1) German roaches

2) American roaches

3) Oriental roaches

4) Brown-banded roaches

Figuring out what kind of cockroach is in your home can help you know how to eliminate them.

1) Oriental cockroaches are commonly found in basements because they like cooler conditions.

2) German and American cockroaches usually frequent kitchens and bathrooms.

3) Brown-banded cockroaches are the toughest ones to deal with, as they can be found all over your house.

As cockroach infestation can get out of hand very fast, it’s always recommended to take an experts’ help. If you are looking for an affordable & effective roach control service in Dayton, Ohio, call us at Dayton Pest Control, Ohio, today!

3) Mosquitoes

With spring already here and summer around the corner, Dayton is getting ready to enjoy outdoor barbecues and beach trips again. However, it’s not just that we humans love this warm weather, mosquitoes love the warm weather too.

Mosquitoes can make spending time in your backyard a nightmare. With the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease greater than ever, mosquitoes are simply not a pest you want to deal with.

Hence, it is always recommended to call experts to control mosquitoes. If you notice mosquito infestation in your home or your backyard, don’t hesitate to call Dayton Pest Control for effective mosquito control service in Dayton, Ohio. We’ll significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes on your Greater Dayton property, allowing you to start enjoying your backyard again!

4) Termites

Dayton, OH, offers a fitting climate year-round to termites for breeding. However, spring is when you’re most likely to notice your home has termites. During spring – yes, right now – is when wood-eating termites set out in search of new digs to expand their colonies.

Termites are challenging for the average homeowner to get rid of, making this a job for the professionals. There’s not much you can do to prevent termites, so that is why it’s important to call an expert for exterminating termites completely. If you notice termite activity in your home, don’t hesitate to call us for an effective termite control service in Dayton, Ohio.

Conclusion

Even as early as spring, pests are already starting to worsen as the weather becomes more favorable for feeding and growth. By the time we hit the summer months, many insect populations have already exploded in size and activity.

To avoid an unpleasant situation, it is best to act before it does!

So, If you have an infestation or see any hints of pest infestation, it’s time to call in the professionals.

Contact Dayton Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in Dayton, Springfields, and nearby cities in Clark & Montgomery Counties, OH. We’ve been successfully controlling and exterminating various bugs in the area for the last 39 years. Contact us by phone at 1-937-903-3962 or through our website or Google My Business listing.