If you have developed a rodent problem in your home, you will need to contract with a professional pest control company to help you resolve the problem. Rodents aren't just a nuisance and frightening to behold when they scurry across you in the middle of the night--they can also chew through the wiring in your home, which can lead to an electrical short or even an electrical fire. So as you get ready for that visit from the pest control expert, here are the three methods that he will take to get rid of your rodent issue.

Sealing -- When it comes to rodent control, one of the most effective methods is sealing, which doesn't just refer to entry points, but also to food. Rodents enter your house through holes or spaces that may not look large enough to permit entry, but are if you understand that a mouse can squeeze through an opening much smaller than it's actual width by contracting its muscles.

So one of the first things a professional pest control expert will do is to find all cracks, holes and open spaces around your home, and seal them with concrete, steel or caulking. In addition, all other uncommon entry points such as dryer vents and any spaces around gas lines must be sealed. Sealing also applies to garbage cans and food sources, as rodents are in constant search of sustenance and can smell food from a long distance.

Traps -- Once a professional pest control expert has ensured that all possible entry points are sealed against rodent intrusion, he must eliminate the existing rodents in your home. One of the methods commonly used to remove rodents is with traps. Professional pest control technicians are very careful in their use of traps, especially if you have small children or pests, because some traps contain hazardous chemicals. Before traps can be effective, the pest control technician must bait the rats out of hiding with food.

Commonly used traps include snap traps, live-catch traps and electronic traps. Snap traps do exactly what the name implies, trap rodents in a snapping mechanism that breaks their neck. Live-catch traps are more 'humane,' in that they don't kill the rodents, but keep them contained for release out of your home. Electronic traps kill rodents through a high-voltage shock, and can house as many as three rodents with one shock setting. With traps, however, unless you contract with the pest control company to make multiple visits, you will have to empty out the traps yourself, which can be daunting.

Rodenticide -- If your rodent problem is excessive, a pest control company may decide to use a rodenticide as a last resort. Rodenticides are highly toxic chemicals that are placed on baits to kill rodents. They are also hazardous to other mammals, so their use is very controlled, and only employed in situations that call for immediate and thorough elimination.

For more details on methods, reach out to a company like Ranger Pest Control.

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