Best pest control specialists near Collinsville, VA

It can be difficult to know what type of animal is in your attic until you see it. But several clues can help you narrow down the suspects:

• Sounds: Smaller animals like rats and mice make scurrying and tapping/gnawing sounds. Larger animals like raccoons and opossums make louder clambering noises. Also, note when animals are noisy: Squirrels are active during the day, while rats are busiest at night.

• Droppings: Rats and mice leave small, rice-shaped droppings (the rat’s version is significantly larger). Bigger droppings belong to larger critters like raccoons. As long as you’re not squeamish, an image search can help you identify what you’re seeing in your attic.

When in doubt, take photos of damage or other evidence and show them to an experienced pest control pro.

As you know, mice adore peanut butter, but who doesn’t? Beyond that sandwich staple, rodents are drawn to berries, grains, seeds, meat, and, yes, even cheese. They also eat pet food in a pinch and feast on plant materials, leftovers, and anything in the trash. In other words, mice aren’t picky.

Yes, sleeping in your house after receiving a pest control application should be no issue, but the best course of action is to wait for the treatment to dry completely. The drying process takes a few hours. Some treatments, such as fumigation, may require a longer drying time, so be sure to ask the technician what drying time you can expect.

To clean a trash can with maggots, combine chlorine bleach and hot water in a 1-to-1 ratio and pour about half a gallon of the solution into the bottom of your garbage can. Just make sure there aren’t holes in the can before doing so. Close the lid, and let the fumes go to work to kill the maggots. Rinse the can with a hose outside. Consider finishing up with a bleach disinfectant and a scrub brush before letting the can dry completely. You can also consider hiring an exterminator near you for a quick, easy solution to maggots in your garbage cans.