Rodents & Weeds

Your yard is an ecosystem. When rodents come onto your property, they will interact with that ecosystem in many unique ways. If you understand what motivates a rodent and know some of the things that attract them to your yard, you can take steps to alter those things. Today, we'll look at the link between rodents and weeds. We'll tell you how weeds can invite rodents into your yard and share what you can do about it. Please get in touch with us if you have a specific question about rodent or weed control. Northwest Exterminating offers advanced rodent control and weed control services in the Phoenix and Tucson metros. 

Weeds offer tactile stimuli

Rats and mice are nocturnal animals by nature. In the dark, they're able to move around as you and I do in the light. How do they do this without being able to see? They use their other senses. One sense they rely heavily upon is touch.

When a rodent enters an open yard with cut grass, it will feel nervous and exposed. If it feels weeds and overgrowth, the vegetation will make the animal more comfortable because it is driven by tactile stimulation. If it also finds solid objects in your yard, such as toys, scrap wood, or a lawn mower, thigmotaxis will kick in even more. Thigmotaxis is a big word that describes the relationship an organism has in relation to contact with other objects, and solid objects increase the response. But, while rats and mice are more attracted to solid objects, tall vegetation has a role to play.

Weeds and other overgrowth offer hiding places

A rat or a mouse will quickly run to any hiding place on your property. They'll climb into a junk pile, hide under an automobile, or get into your landscaping. If your landscape vegetation is open, and a rodent feels exposed, it won't want to stay. However, landscaping with weeds provides perfect hiding places for these rodents.

Weeds attract insects and rodents eat insects

While rats and mice may eat certain weeds, they are also interested in the insects that can be found around weeds. Rodents require protein for sustenance. (Rats have a particularly high protein diet.) A yard with lots of weeds will let a rodent know that a meal of bugs isn't far away. Removing the weeds will help to reduce both insects and rodents.

The professional solutions for rodent and weed control

If you want to get rid of rodents on your Arizona property, it pays to go with a company that understands both sides of the problem. Here at Northwest Exterminating, we offer Desert Guard for the management of rats and mice as well as effective weed control in Phoenix, Tucson, and Southern Arizona.

Desert Guard is a distinctive Integrated Pest Management program designed to keep desert-loving pests out of homes. When homeowners sign up for this exclusion service, we will:

• Perform a routine inspection to evaluate rodent attractants and harborage.
• Identify and seal potential entry points.
• Install long-term physical deterrents.
• And more!

In addition to Desert Guard, we also offer rodent control services that include:

• Rodent trapping
• Den or harborage removal
• Rodent baiting maintenance programs
• Home pest control services that feature digital rodent monitoring

Our weed control services address current weeds and prevent weeds before they appear. Some of the many weeds we address are purslane, fringed pigweed, desert broom, nightshade, nettleleaf goosefoot, and crabgrass. Here are a few ways we address these and all the other weeds that try to take over Arizona yards.

• We apply liquid applications of pre-emergent weed control to address weeds before they germinate.
• We apply post-emergent weed control to address current weeds on your property.
• We may apply soil sterilants for long-lasting control.

We’re ready to get rid of rodents and weeds

Contact the Northwest Exterminating team to get rid of weeds and pesky rodents at the same time. We use the most advanced technologies for rodent management and control and the most trusted materials for effective and sustainable weed management. Best of all, our friendly service technicians are highly trained and experienced specialists. Reach out today!