Rodents can cause significant destruction to your property and pose a health hazard. They spread diseases and spread parasites that could infest you and your pets.

Controlling a rodent infestation requires the use of various pest control tools, such as exclusion, trapping, baits, chemicals and professional extermination. It’s best to enlist the assistance of an experienced pest control specialist at the first sign of trouble.

Rats and Mice

Rats and mice are a ubiquitous pest in homes and businesses alike. Not only can they cause destruction to property, but also spread diseases, leading to contaminated food supplies.

They can be highly destructive to gardens and yards, chewing through shrubs and trees to burrow and consume plant roots. Furthermore, they have been known to cause fires in buildings and pose a significant health hazard if not dealt with promptly.

To prevent rodent infestations, trim tree limbs so they do not hang directly over roofs and trim vegetation along fences. Doing this will create a six-inch area of bare soil and vegetation away from structures.

Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs are stocky, burrow-dwelling rodents that live in colonies known as “towns.”

They possess superior hearing and tracking abilities, making them useful in ranchlands where their digging and feeding activities may reduce crop productivity or harm livestock.

Public health is also at risk, as prairie dogs are commonly carriers of bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis), which they transmit to humans through flea bites.

A common control method is applying fumigant or bait. Although more laborious than sprays, these methods tend to be more successful.

Voles

Voles are a type of ground-dwelling rodent that can cause extensive damage to lawns, gardens and landscape plantings. They feed on grasses, roots and other ground cover by eating away at vegetation such as lawns.

To prevent damage, you must manage the population before it grows too large. This involves eliminating areas that attract them such as excess vegetation, brush piles, wood piles and tall grasses.

You can protect garden and tree plants from damage by regularly mowing the lawn. Doing this eliminates weeds and reduces ground cover that voles can hide beneath.

Trapping voles can be done by setting mouse-sized box traps near burrow openings or in runways around ornamental shrubbery, flower beds, gardens or rock walls. Bait the traps with peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices for optimal success.

Groundhogs

Groundhogs, commonly referred to as woodchucks, can be a destructive pest in your garden. They’re known for their voracious appetites and destructive habits which may cause significant losses of vegetation in the long run.

To deter these pests, regularly trim grasses and eliminate weeds on your property. Furthermore, clearing wood piles and brush piles will discourage them from creating dens on your premises.

If a groundhog is making holes in your yard or home, contact a wildlife removal service right away. Humane traps are also an effective way to get rid of these pests.

Gophers

Gophers are a common rodent pest that can be challenging to eradicate. Their damage to landscapes and gardens is extensive.

Gophers are herbivores that feed on roots, vegetables and small shrubs. They also destroy flower beds, grasses and trees.

They construct underground tunnels and burrows to access plants and soil below ground. These burrows may be just a few inches deep or reach lengths of several hundred feet.

Gophers can be trapped with pincher-type traps placed in their main tunnels or lateral tunnels. Trapping may be effective for small populations, but may not be necessary when gophers are establishing large colonies in fields.