So, you think your empty garage or backyard shed is a safe zone? Think again. As it turns out, these clear-of-sight areas are attractive places for a bit of rodent looking for its newest nesting grounds. Rodents are finding more of them and making their homes in residential neighborhoods of Allentown as far-reaching as the Historic District to the West End.
In this post, we will discuss how ignoring rodent entry points could cost you more money than you think, why detached structures in Allentown are at a higher risk, and how to protect your property. You can also look for experts by searching for Allentown pest control near me.
Real Damage Rodents Cause in Garages & Sheds
- Structural and Electrical Hazards
Rodents not only take over things but also work to cause decay. Since their front teeth never stop growing, mice and rats will gnaw on electrical wiring, which leads to potential fire hazards. Their detached garages in Allentown, where lawn equipment, holiday lights, and workshop tools might sit, are ripe for damaged wiring that easily ignites fires that quickly blaze through stored materials.
- Contamination and Health Risks
All that mouse feces, urine, and fur put the things you have stored there at risk. They may be serving more than the holiday spirit. Rodents also have some diseases, such as Hantavirus and Salmonella, which means that your garage and storage spaces could turn out to be health risks to your spouse and children.
- Property Value Impact
If rodent infestations are ongoing, they decrease the value of your property. Clients observe chew marks on goods, insulation is dented, and infestations have left behind a stench. First, it can cost you thousands when you go to sell your Allentown home for what looked like a minor pest issue.
Why Detached Structures Are Vulnerable in Allentown
- Weather and Age Factors
The cold winters and humid summers typical of Allentown help create the perfect conditions for these gaps to form within the structure. With almost 40 % of the city’s homes built before 1950, much of the housing stock has worn wood, settling foundations, and spaces around doors and windows that encourage air to flow from building to building, including most detached garages and sheds.
- Seasonal Patterns
With the temperatures falling in Allentown, and we all know they can drop way below the freezing point, rodents start looking for a warm place to sleep. A heated garage or insulated shed is a five-star hotel compared to the outdoors. Research shows rodents seek shelter indoors when it gets below 20°F, and Allentown averages 25 days a year when the temperature is in that range.
- Neighborhood Density
Since some Allentown neighborhoods have around 18,000 households per square mile, rodents have an abundance of food and shelter to choose from. You may do everything when it comes to upkeep and appearance on your property, but if your neighbour has a rodent infestation and they get into that property, your detached structures will be compromised in no time flat.
Why Professional Help Can Save You Money
Gaps or holes allow new rodents to enter your home through the same entrance. Nests can still be found inside wall cavities or corners of storage, and improper storage can attract them by providing a source of food and building materials for a nest.
That is where professional pest control comes into play by addressing the root causes. Presto pest control and other companies have seen Allentown’s unique problems: high turnover rental housing that would make them nervous, and a thousand more, dealing with rotting wood siding, settling cracks in the concrete slab floor, and bad ventilation systems that create humidity problems, all for years.