April 13, 2021

Digging Into Rodent Control

Rochester Pest Pro helps neighborhoods in the Rochester area with the highest quality of pest control for rodents of all the kinds found in Western New York.  If you have or use property in Fairport, Pittsford, Honeoye Falls, Penfield, Henrietta, and more, you have a connection to a comprehensive source of professional rodent removal. 

Today, we want to focus on burrowing rodents.  Burrowing is one of the most effective ways for pests to establish a presence in your structure.  Burrows shield rodents and other vermin from the sight and often, the reach of homeowners.  Rodents dislike the smell of mint and castor oils.  These are a common DIY treatment for rodents, but the problem with that is that the animals can just dig other entrances that are harder to find, and the oils sink into the soil, quickly becoming ineffective. 

Tunnel Trouble

We want to talk about the damage burrowing rodents cause and what we do about it.  Some burrowing rodents Rochester homeowners encounter are:

  • Moles.  These cute little guys are designed for digging, but they need to do it away from human structures. 
  • Voles.  A vole looks like a mouse with a hefty body and short tail, but they are more closely related to hamsters.  They like to chew the stems of young trees and other plants with woody stems. 
  • Gophers.  Gophers look like a cross between a squirrel and a groundhog and are closer in size to a squirrel.  They enjoy burrowing among the roots of trees, destabilizing them. 
  • Mice and rats.  These will burrow under and into all sorts of structures, from houses to barns to crop storage buildings. 
  • Groundhogs.  The size of groundhogs means that their tunnels are even bigger than other creatures’ burrows.  They are large enough to destabilize structures like decks and also attract larger predators like coyotes, foxes, and raptors. 

Underground Rodent Damage

These are some things burrowing rodents in the Rochester area do:

  • They damage the ground under buildings.  This allows water to seep in and creates entry points for other pests. 
  • Burrowing rodents have been known to chew electric wires, which can cause fires.
  • Rodents can cause trees to fall and affect crops by eating them and destroying root systems.
  • Burrowing rodents bring other pests with them, like fleas and ticks. 
  • They use their burrows to create homes for themselves and their young.  Rodents can breed rapidly and prolifically.  Before you know it, your neighborhood has a network of tunnels.

Rooting Them Out

Rochester Pest Pro practices Integrated Pest Management, or IPM.  This means that we handle the situation from start to finish.  This means identifying entry points to identifying exactly what pests we’re dealing with to choosing the appropriate treatments to stopping up the entry points.  Also, we not only remove the rodents, we deter them from coming back by laying down treatments that will last for months.  To keep burrowing rodents away for good, ask about our pest maintenance services.  We’re always ready to help our friends keep their homes and workplaces pest-free, so contact us anytime through our website or call (585) 486-4815.