Winter means less time outdoors for you and your family—and the neighborhood rodents. Mice and rats head inside when the temperature drops, potentially leaving you with a serious rodent problem. Allowing these unwelcome house guests to settle in for the winter creates a variety of issues that affect the cleanliness of your home and possibly the health of those who dwell in it. 

Why You Don’t Want a Rodent Problem in Your Home

1. Urine & Dropping Contamination

Urine and droppings from mice and rats create serious sanitation issues. They contaminate surfaces, appliances, and food in your home, most notably those in your kitchen. Mice produce waste pellets and urinate when they walk because they have no bladder control. Consuming or drinking anything marked with rodent urine, excrement, hair, or saliva can trigger allergic reactions among other health problems. Breathing dust that’s mixed with waste may also create or worsen allergic reactions. 

2. Virus & Disease Transmission

Foods, drinks, and dust infected with rodent waste not only cause allergy flare-ups, but they can also spread illness. Bubonic plague, rat bite and Lassa fevers, and the Hantavirus are among the many diseases rats and mice spread. Getting bitten or handling infected dead rodents without the right protective gear may also result in disease transmission. Some of these, such as the Hantavirus, are potentially life-threatening.

3. Household Destruction

Mice and rats chew and gnaw just about anything they get their paws on. They work through electrical wiring, tunnel through insulation, build nests in upholstered furniture, and destroy items you store in your basement and attic, such as family heirlooms, artwork, old clothes, and important documents. These pests also chew through wood and drywall, which, along with wiring and insulation damage, increases your home’s risk of fire.

Count on the talented exterminators at Great Southern Exterminating in Midway, GA, to provide the effective solutions your rodent problem needs. The pest control company offers over 20 years of experience, and each technician is state-registered and highly-trained to tackle your issue. Commercial services are also available to combat the pest problems Georgia’s hot, humid climate creates. Call (912) 876-5010 to schedule a visit, or check out the website for more information on the services offered.