Eliminate Rodent Infestations: Thorough Rodent Management Service in Tucson, AZ

Do you have a rodent infestation in your home or your yard?

Rodent infestations: annoyance, diseases, damage

Rodents are an annoyance. In Tucson and southern Arizona, we most commonly see house mice, roof rats, pack rats… Pack rats are the scourge of Tucson’s backyards. All these rodents multiply quickly to infest homes, and you soon find them in all kinds of areas where they shouldn’t belong. Like under your hood, chewing your wires. In your walls, where they chew on pipes. Not just that: they can do damage to your wiring installation and your insulation too.

They also pose health risks because they carry diseases like salmonella and hantavirus. Rats can bite, and you can get infected with strep. And not just through bites but also through foods contaminated by rodents’ urine or feces. Although bubonic plague is mostly a thing of the past, there has been 7 recorded cases of it since 2010 in the U.S. The carrier of the disease are flies which land and feast on infected wild rodents.

So we all agree that it is important for all of us, homeowners, to detect the signs of an infestation and exterminate it, as well as to put some measures in place in our homes to prevent the problem from happening or recurring.

Signs of rodent infestation, what to look for

Look out for these signs:

• Droppings (under your furniture, cushions, oven, sink, pantries, etc.)
• Gnaw marks (on furniture and wiring)
• Scratching noises within walls (especially at night)
• Greasy rub marks (along baseboards)
• The smell of urine (under your furniture, under your baseboards, in room corners, etc.)
• Shredded fabric or paper (rodents use these for nesting)
• Footprints (in dusty areas)

Early detection not only protects you from health risks but also forestalls the damage rodents will inflict on your property. The longer an infestation persists unnoticed, the more costly and time-consuming the remediation may become.

Unseen and untreated, rodent populations escalate rapidly. A single pair of rodents has the potential to spawn a full-scale infestation.

Seasonal rodent activity in Tucson

There are seasons during which rodents are more active than usual. In Tucson, we observe more activity as the temperatures cool down, and during the November-March season, when the weather forces rodents to seek warmth and shelter in our homes and garages.

There is a direct correlation between seasonal temperature changes and rodent behavior in our region.

Where to look for rodents first?

Where do you look for these signs and traces? You need to know a little bit about the behavioral habits of our rodents to detect them.
The roof rat, for instance, is known to love nesting in the higher areas of our home. Secure your attic with mouse traps in key locations. Pack rats, on the other hand, create nests on the ground and they find refuge under your car hood. Every Arizonan who leaves their cars under a car port or just outside, knows that they’d better leave their hood open at night if they don’t want to find their wiring all chewed up in the morning.

Your pantry is the promised land for all rodents. Look for droppings and chewed boxes in your pantry on a regular basis. Also look for mice in your kitchen: we drop little pieces of food all the time when we cook, so mice will naturally gravitate at night near the baseboards, the toe kicks of your cabinetry, and around your range. That’s why you can often find mouse droppings in the drawer of your range.

Closets are also a place that mice like very much. First, they are often dark, and their doors are not very often open; mice feel secure in them. They also have plenty of fabric to chew on to build nests. Your best bet is to bother them: open your closets more often, check out your clothes to find out any chewed clothes and rags.

Good prevention measures control rodent infestations

Any pest control company worth its salt will tell you that you need to control the access points to your home to prevent effectively rodents from entering it.

Seal access points

Controlling the access points means, for instance, to seal obvious entry points such as air vents, chimneys, gaps between cement blocks, cracks in your stucco, as well as electrical and plumbing openings (for your AC unit for instance).

What can you do to seal these weak points?

• Sturdy door sweeps prevent entry via doors
• Window screens block rodents while maintaining airflow
• Reinforced vent covers keep attics secure
• Sealants close off cracks in building exteriors
• Chimney caps deny access from above
• Steel wool denies entry through small openings

Trim branches, clean up brush, refuse access to rodents

One of the roadways rodents use to enter your home and nest around it – and most people don’t think about it – is tree branches and the brush in your backyard. Trim these palo verde or mesquite branches that come too close to your home because rodents use them for easy access to your roof.

Clear your brush often because rodents use it to nest and find shelter from birds of prey. (By the way, brush and logs are also refuges for snakes and food for termites).

Store food to starve out rodents

Carton boxes and jute bags like rice bags are targets for rodents: they can easily chew on them to steal your food. Any grains lying around are fair game for mice and rats. Kitchen and pantries are their playfields.

Store your food in glass and plastic containers: Tupperware and mason jars. Keep your pantry shelves clean of rice and grain. Vacuum-clean your kitchen daily. Wipe any trace of food from your countertops, sinks, and cooktop. You’ll decrease the risk of a rodent infestation by 90%.

Dispose of your kitchen garbage often and secure the lid of your big garbage can. This way, rodents and possums won’t be able to access and chew on plastic bags. If you notice the presence of possums in your community, put a paver on top of the lid: it will make it much harder for them to open it. When possums make a mess around your garbage can, rats and mice come feed off the mess. By the time you get to clean up the mess, rodents have already learned that your home is a potential grocery shop.

Implementing these measures make your home a fortress against rodent incursions. Rodent exclusion is the cornerstone of long-term rodent control.

Professional rodent control solutions

But what if all preventive measures fail? What if you don’t have the time or the knowledge to build up your fortress? What if you already have a rodent infestation and you feel overwhelmed?

Well, it is probably time to seek professional rodent control services with the team at Rigo Pest Prevention.
Our experts offer custom solutions. We implement traps, baits, and exclusion and sanitation techniques to remove your current rodent infestation and to prevent future issues.

Professional pest inspection: your foundation

Let’s face it. Here in Tucson, rodents are a real challenge, and we have a wide range of pests native to Arizona. Your pest control strategy begins with a professional pest inspection.

Our rodent control specialists have a deep knowledge of local species’ behaviors, nesting habits, and seasonal activity.

A thorough inspection by Rigo Pest’s professional exterminators will ensure all entry points in your home are identified. We examine the smallest of openings, and we seal them right after the inspection. We can identify vulnerabilities that are not obvious to the untrained eye.

Proper identification for proper rodent control

Precise pest identification informs Rigo Pest’s rodent specialists when selecting the right control techniques.

• Some species call for specific traps or baits.
• Accurate identification of the rodents allows behavioral pattern recognition (nesting habits, feeding preferences).
• Knowledge of the reproductive cycle of the specific rodent helps in understanding the scope of infestation (and preventing future outbreaks).

Controlled use of rodenticides

Based on our experience exterminating rodents in the Tucson metro area, we know homeowners are (rightfully) concerned about using poisoned baits. Rigo Pest’s rodent exterminators are trained to adhere to stringent protocols, ensuring the use of these substances in a responsible way and only when absolutely necessary.

Our technicians place rodenticides in strategic locations not easily accessible to pets and children, while ensuring maximum uptake by the intended rodent population. Strategic placement based on a deep understanding of rodent behavior transforms poison and baiting systems into potent solutions. Among the locations most effective for this purpose, we plant bait stations along walls, within burrow entry points, and in those secluded areas where rodents typically travel. We want to intercept rodents as they move about their daily routines.
Then we regularly monitor our bait and trap stations to ensure continuous control of the rodent population around your home.

Get Started

Sanitation and healthcare

Cleaning up rodent droppings

Discovering rodent droppings in your home signals not only a pest problem; it also poses potential health risks. Rigo Pest sends professionals to remove these droppings and sanitize the space. Our rodent control experts are trained in the process of biohazard cleanup; their intervention ensures a level of cleanliness that safeguards the well-being of both children and pets.

Because rodent droppings contain bacteria and viruses (salmonella, hantavirus), the areas affected must be disinfected thoroughly. The spread of possible contaminants must be checked quickly.

In certain cases, the sanitation efforts may require purifying the indoor air.

Rat-Bite Fever

Rat-Bite Fever is an infectious disease that can result from the bite or scratch of an infected rodent and from the consumption of food contaminated with rodents’ urine or feces.

In the United States, the disease is caused by the Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria.

Signs and symptoms

You need to recognize the signs and symptoms of Rat-Bite Fever and seek prompt medical treatment. Symptoms commonly appear 3 to 10 days after exposure, sometimes later.

They include:

• Fever and chills
• Muscle ache, vomiting, or headache
• Rash or redness at the wound site
• Joint pain and swelling

Treatment involves antibiotics.

Rodent control serves the community

Hantavirus, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis are health risks to which you can’t afford to be exposed. Because we have adopted industry-leading protocols, we guarantee the minimization of potential health threats.

We not only deliver leading rodent-extermination solutions, we also help to protect the well-being of our Tucson communities.

Rodent control: guarantees and warranties

Tucson residents seeking rodent control services from Rigo Pest receive more than just temporary relief; they gain the peace of mind that comes with comprehensive customer protection and service guarantees.

We understand the challenges created by local pests and have warranty options to cover these issues. Our customers benefit from our total commitment to service quality and customer satisfaction.

Consumer protection with service guarantees

Rigo Pest offers several ironclad guarantees on the quality of its services. We want to continue serving faithfully people who trust us with their pest control needs, and this commitment can be measured by our 4.9 star-rating in Google Reviews, and our outstanding 4.6 star rating in Yelp (you know how difficult it is to get a great rating in Yelp!). We also gained a great 4.8 rating in Angi, and the BBB rates us A+.

What are our guarantees?

Initial Service

We guarantee to eliminate any pest infestation within the first 30 days of service. We will not charge you another penny until the initial infestation has been removed.

Maintenance Service

If you are dissatisfied with your regularly scheduled service program, let us know. We will continue to provide service to your facility at no additional charge until you are satisfied.

Emergency rodent control services

Rigo Pest offers uninterrupted peace of mind. Our rodent control specialists deliver emergency services around the clock.

Our rapid response teams offer immediate relief, ensuring your home or business returns to a safe and habitable state swiftly. You can rely on expert technicians to arrive promptly and be equipped to handle all levels of rodent emergencies.

Available 24/7, our emergency services offer timely solutions to mitigate risks to property and operations.

Get Started

Integrated Pest Management for Rodent Control in Tucson

What is Integrated Pest Management?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive approach to controlling pests (including rodents) with a focus on long-term prevention and environmental safety.

Instead of relying solely on chemical treatments, IPM incorporates various strategies such as habitat modification, biological control, and proper sanitation practices to effectively manage pest populations.

Principles of IPM in rodent control

The IPM process for rodent control is based on 4 key principles:

1. Setting Action Thresholds

IPM starts with monitoring the environment to determine the level of rodent activity. We take action only when the number of rodents surpasses a threshold that is considered acceptable. This prevents unnecessary interventions.

2. Monitoring and Identifying Pests

Effective control involves regular monitoring and accurate identification of rodent species. Rigo Pest’s IPM and rodent infestation specialists understand the behavior, lifecycle, and habitat preferences of different rodent species. They can design targeted control methods for the specific needs of the Tucson metro.

3. Prevention

Prevention is at the heart of IPM. This includes sealing entry points, reducing clutter, and removing food and water sources that attract rodents. By creating a hostile environment for pests, we minimize the need for chemical controls.

4. Control

When preventive measures are not sufficient, IPM implements control methods with the least risk to human health and the environment. This includes trapping, the use of rodenticides in a targeted way, and employing natural predators.

The objective is to remove the infestation effectively while reducing harm to non-target species and the surrounding ecosystem.

Get Started

Core Components of IPM

Inspection and identification

These are at the heart of IPM. An IPM specialist has a full handle on the specific types of rodents the homeowners are dealing with and the scope of the infestation. Proper identification helps in choosing the most effective treatment methods while reducing unnecessary and potentially harmful interventions.

Prevention

This is a key element of IPM. We want to reduce the food, water, and shelter which rodents seek to survive. The approach includes practices such as properly sealing homes and buildings, managing waste effectively, and maintaining clean environments to deter rodent habitation.

Control Tactics

IPM involves a combination of strategies. When preventive measures are not enough, Rigo Pest employs carefully chosen control methods. These may include traps, baiting, and the use of rodenticides. But IPM only uses these methods with a focus on targeted use to minimize their impact and increase their effectiveness.

Benefits of IPM for the residents of Tucson

Let’s discuss the benefits a homeowner in Tucson can receive from using a pest control company that has adopted IPM practices for rodent control:

Eco-friendliness

IPM prioritizes environmentally friendly practices that reduce the reliance on harmful chemicals, thus protecting the diverse local wildlife and natural landscapes.

Health and safety

By limiting the use of rodenticides, IPM reduces the risk of exposure to toxic substances for pets, children, and the community at large.

Cost-effectiveness

IPM aims to address the root causes of rodent infestations, leading to more sustainable and cost-effective management over time, as compared to repeated chemical treatments.

Long-lasting results

The holistic approach of IPM not only deals with the current infestation but also helps to prevent future issues by creating an inhospitable environment for rodents.

Community focus

Implementing IPM involves educating people in the community about proactive measures they can take to support rodent control efforts, thus fostering a sense of community responsibility and cooperation.

By embracing Integrated Pest Management, a community can ensure effective rodent control that aligns with Tucsonans’ values of sustainability, health, and community well-being.

Get Started