Category: Blog

Rats and mice are two of the most common pests, but some people can’t tell them apart. While it’s true that rats are bigger, there are plenty of other characteristics that differentiate the two.

Notice Physical Appearance to Distinguish Rats and Mice

Rats and mice can, in most cases, be easily distinguished between one another. Here are some common differences they have in their physical appearances:

Mice

• Between 4-6 inches
• Weigh just over an ounce
• Long whiskers
• Triangular noses
• Large ears

Rats

• Can grow up to 15 inches or longer
• Weigh around 12 ounces
• Blunt snouts
• Scaly, hairless tails
• Smaller ears

Both species tend to come in muted, natural colors such as brown, tan, gray, and black. They also share lightened bellies, although mice tend to be a bit paler. Interestingly, rodents bred to be pets often display unique coat patterns. They frequently have spots and other markings that would be a disadvantage in the wild.

Watch for Behavioral Differences

Rats are more intelligent than mice. They have larger brains and use them for more complex processing. For example, a rat is wary of changes in their environment, like setting a trap. They often avoid traps entirely. Mice, on the other hand, tend to be oblivious, making them easier to trap or exterminate.

Knowledge You Can Trust

Regardless of which species you’re dealing with, Critter Control® of Fort Worth is ready to help. We have years of experience and training, combined with modern technology and techniques. No job is too big or too small for us to handle. If you have a rodent problem in your home or business, call us today for a free consultation at 817-222-1101.

Baby raccoons may be cute, but they shouldn’t be allowed to take over your property. Raccoons will bite if cornered or provoked, and they carry many dangerous diseases such as rabies. It’s unsafe to remove baby raccoons from a yard, attic, or basement, yourself; call Critter Control® for professional animal removal services in Ft. Worth.

Where Raccoons Nest

A mother raccoon will normally have about five kits who depend on her for food and shelter. Mothers often take their kits to shelter in chimneys, crawl spaces, attics, or basements, leading to conflict with humans. Baby raccoons can stay with their mothers up to a year, so an infestation can persist for months if not handled right away.

Newborn raccoons look similar to adults, with the same ringed tails and black or brown mask-like markings around their eyes and cheeks. It takes about three weeks for baby raccoons to open their eyes and longer for them to be able to run and forage on their own. Never try to force raccoons (particularly babies) off your property. A mother raccoon is likely helping her babies forage and store fat for fall and winter. If she thinks you are threatening her kits, she will bite or scratch. Kits will do the same thing if handled.

Call Critter Control® of Ft. Worth

Critter Control® can safely remove raccoons from your property. We use humane methods to discourage them from returning and will teach you how to protect your property. Call or fill out a Contact Us form today.

Rats, mice, squirrels, and other critters all have the capacity to do a great deal of damage to your home, and put your family at risk for disease. When you have an infestation, the key to resolving the issue is early detection, but an even better option is preventing them from entering in the first place. Rodent-proofing your roof vents and attic is a perfect way to get started.

No Entry

The first step to preventing critters from entering your home is to begin with a thorough inspection of your property. Knowing where rodents would try to enter your home is key for effective rodent-proofing and exclusion. These critters are capable of squeezing through tiny openings, so even the smallest crack or hole can allow them access.

After locating all possible entry points, they need to be closed off. You can patch holes, gaps, and cracks that are over ¼” in size with a combination of foam, wire mesh, or sheet metal depending on the size of the opening.

Next, you will need to inspect your roof to make sure there are screens installed over your vents, and to make sure they are undamaged and secure. From there, make any necessary repairs, or replace any missing vent screens. As an additional deterrent to squirrels and other climbing critters, you can attach metal rodent guards to piping, or add a black band around your home.

Rodent-Proofing made Foolproof

As a DIY homeowner, you may have some luck rodent-proofing your home on your own. But, for a guaranteed thorough job, the experts at Critter Control® of Fort Worth are here. Our decades of experience allows us to think like a critter would, giving us an advantage when it comes to finding and sealing entry points. Call us at 817-442-2201 with any questions, or to schedule your complimentary home consultation.

If you’re getting woken up in the middle of the night by scratching and skittering sounds coming from above your head, you may have rats in your attic. Letting rats live in your attic for a period, whether intentionally or not, could lead to severe health problems for you and your family, or result in some costly structural damages in your home.

The Problem: Rat Urine

It’s pretty much common knowledge at this point that rats carry many, many diseases. But some people don’t know that just avoiding touching rats isn’t enough to keep you safe. A lot of illness is spread through their urine, which they track around on their paws wherever they go. And since you may not even know you have rats in your home, you could be exposed to these diseases without even knowing.

One fatal disease rats are known to spread is called leptospirosis which can affect your kidneys and liver. A case of leptospirosis recently broke out in a New York neighborhood, resulting in one fatality. Health officials advise for anyone who works or lives in an area that may harbor rats to wash their hands frequently and never walk around barefoot. To learn more, you can read the New York Times article, here.

How We Can Help

Rats not only put you at risk to a fatal disease, but they can cause hundreds of dollars in damages to the structure of your home. If left alone for too long, rats can:

• Rip out and ruin your insulation, driving up energy bills
• Gnaw on electrical wires, causing a fire
• Ruin stored belongings in your attic
• Stain walls and ceilings with their feces and urine

The best way to remove rats from your attic is to enlist the help fo the professionals at Critter Control© Ft. Worth. Our number one priority is to keep you and your family safe and healthy and get those rats out in a quick and precise fashion. We’ll even clean up any of the damages they made, including re-installing your attic insulation. For a free consultation, call us today at 817-222-1101.

Though there are a variety of different squirrel species, the common tree squirrel is one of the most common nuisances faced by homeowners because of their ability to infiltrate homes and wreak havoc. Often times, squirrels are discovered because of the noise they make, but only after significant damage has been done.

Squirrel populations are on the rise because they have few predators and are so quick at reproducing. Additionally, as construction continues to intrude into their natural habitats, they have begun to seek shelter within our homes. While we strongly recommend against trapping squirrels on your own because of the risk they pose, there are things you can do to help deter them from invading.

• Remove food sources from outside of your home. Things like bird feeders are prime targets for squirrel activity.
• Use gutter guards or cover down spouts to reduce access to your roof and fascia boards – two common entry points for squirrels.
• Trim back tree branches that overhang your roof
• If you have firewood stacked up against your home, consider moving it elsewhere as it gives squirrels a place to hide and to make their way onto your home.
• Seal any cracks in your foundation or entry points like holes in your soffits or screen enclosures

When dealing with squirrel infestations, we always recommend calling the experts here at Critter Control® of Fort Worth. Squirrels may be small and cute, but their bites and scratches are anything but. Follow the tips above and if you find yourself with a squirrel problem, call us at 817-222-1101.

Though bats are beneficial to the environment, they have a reputation for being harmful to people. They are important in that they each eat thousands of insects per year, but the diseases they often carry can be harmful or fatal to humans. While we need to protect our dwindling bat populations, having them living in our attics is not acceptable. If you have bats in your attic, getting them out quickly and completely is important.

• Bat guano is known to cause thousands of dollars in damage to homes and property each year
• As guano accumulates in attics, it can cause serious health complications for you and your family

In many areas, bats are protected by federal law. So if you have them in your attic, how do you go about removing them safely and legally?

The key to a painless removal experience is early detection. Signs of bat activity include:

• Fluttering or scratching from your walls or ceiling, especially in the early hours of the morning, or right around dusk
• If your attic is quiet other than those parts of the day, chances are that you have bats and not another type of critter. Bats leave and return during these times, hence the noise
• Large accumulations of bat waste (guano) near the entrances and exits to your attic. This is because bats often create waste just before leaving, and right after returning to their roost

If you suspect that bats have taken up residence in your attic, don’t wait to get help. Bats are capable of inflicting big damage on your home if left unchecked. Contact Critter Control® of Fort Worth today at 817-222-1101 with any questions, or to schedule your complimentary home consultation.

Rats and other rodents carry diseases, such as rat-bite fever, Salmonellosis, and Leptospirosis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you notice signs of rats in your home or business, such as droppings, gnawed wood, and chewed food containers, getting rid of them is crucial so that you can keep your home or office free of these diseases. The issue that comes into the picture here is that most people put out rat traps and think that their problems will be over soon. However, your infestation will not go away after setting out a few traps, Here are a few reasons rat traps will not get the job done.

Crafty Critters

Rats are crafty critters. Some rats can figure out how to get the bait off of the trap without setting off the trap. Other rats know how to set off the trap without getting caught and then get the bait when the trap has already tripped. Both of these possibilities mean that you might go through a lot of bait and never catch a rat.

Location, Location, Location

Some rat traps aren’t effective because they aren’t placed in the correct locations. Even if you think that you found the perfect spot, the rat might notice something different and avoid the area entirely. If the rat is smart enough to avoid your traps, you will end up with rat droppings in new areas because of this avoidance.

Breeding Brings More

Even if you catch a rat or two, there is a good chance that there are much more waiting in the shadows. Rats like to breed often and multiply at an alarming rate. Traps won’t control the breeding, and they will not likely catch the offsping.

Because rat traps can be so ineffective, you need to get professional help as soon as you know that you have a rodent problem. The experts at Critter Control® Ft. Worth can evaluate your situation, explain the options, and get the rats out. Contact us today at 817-222-1101 to schedule your free consultation.

 

Although their homes are out in the foliage of the forests, roaches love to venture into your home in search of a more consistent food source. Once inside, it only takes a few weeks for them to multiply and infest your home, putting you in danger of a variety of diseases. It is hard to completely prevent roaches from entering your home, but here are some steps towards keeping them out for good.

 

 

 

 

Continue reading “How to Avoid a Roach Infestation”

When rodents invade your home, it’s not just a nuisance; it can be a health hazard for everyone living in your home. Rodents can very easily spread diseases simply through the air they contaminate. They also cause a great deal of structural damage to your home by ripping up your insulation and precious belongings. Below we’ve listed some of the most common rodents in the Ft. Worth area, how you can detect them, and how to get rid of them. 

Rodents You’ll See

• Rats- Will chew anything they can get their paws on. Since their teeth are always growing, they are always chewing. They can reproduce 4-6 times a year and love to make homes in your warm attic.
• Mice- These critters may seem cute and cuddly, but they can reproduce at a staggering rate and can inflict a lot of structural damage to your home.
• Squirrels- These bushy-tailed critters spend their free time scratching and chewing their way through your roof. They love to use your attic insulation as nesting for their young, which can drive your energy bills through the roof.

Continue reading “Rodent Infestation”

Although the technicians here at Critter Control® of Fort Worth are well versed and experienced in bed bug removal, we understand that it can be confusing to try and decide which treatment option might suit you best. Here are some of the most common methods of removing bed bugs from a home:

Whole Room Heat Treatments

One of the most environmentally friendly bed bug treatment options, heat treatments are carried out by a trained professional with equipment specifically designed to safely increase the temperature inside your home in order to kill off your infestation. Bed bugs and their eggs are only able to live at temperatures under 118°F, and during a heat treatment the temperatures are elevated to about 135°F to ensure that none are left over.

Continue reading “How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs”