The trouble with rodents

• Rodents spread a wide variety of serious diseases, including salmonellosis, plague, leptospirosis, hantaviruses, rickettsial pox.
• Rodents consume and contaminate significant percentages of the world's food supply every year.
• Rodents carry fleas, ticks and other parasites.
• Rodents cause a great deal of anxiety for occupants of infested buildings.
• Rodents cause extensive financial damage by gnawing on structures and wiring.

The signs of a rodent infestation

• Droppings and urine are left wherever rodents travel or rest, especially in corners.
• Dark smears or rub marks are left on surfaces, caused by dirt and oil from rodents' hair as they move throughout their territories.
• Footprints and tail drags may be seen in dusty locations. (To make these trails easier to see, shine a strong flashlight at a low angle across the dust.)
• Gnaw marks with visible, 1/8" tooth marks may be a sign of rats. Gnaw marks with scratch-like tooth marks may be a sign of mice.
• A distinctive, musky odor may be present.
• House pets, such as cats and dogs, may become agitated because they hear rodents gnawing, digging, running and fighting.