Preventing Pests | Plumbing Arlington

With the official arrival of fall, more than cool nights have arrived. Bugs, rats and other members of the animal kingdom are already seeking shelter in our homes. The creatures enter by all the cracks and holes that a homeowner is unable to find and seal. Squirrels chew into the eaves and occupy the attic, while rats enter any way they are able, with females producing up to 12 young every 23 days. You may be wondering what the association is between pests and your plumbing in Arlington.

plumber arlington preventing pests

We have all heard the stories of rats and squirrels chewing their way into a home and its wiring causing fires. Perhaps they view electrical wires as the ultimate hot sauce in the rodent world. You’d think once those wet little mouths received a bit of electricity they would leave it alone. Instead they come back for more.

From a plumbing perspective, the fact is rodents will chew on plastic pipes, poly pipes, ABS waste pipes and occasionally, even copper pipes. Let’s not leave out the tubing providing water to the icemaker. If you have ever moved a super-sized side by side stainless steel refrigerator filled to the gills with food five days in a row to replace rodent damaged icemaker tubing, it tends to reinforce the importance of ridding the homestead of the uninvited vermin. It’s a matter of protecting your home and its plumbing in Arlington.

Squirrels on the other hand, prefer to chew holes into your attic, and eat wire. They are also rather obsessive in stuffing the roof vents with squirrel treasures after chewing the caps away. That’s just another way they have of increasing danger, by blocking the ventilation of gas appliances, and of sewer gases in the ventilation system of your plumbing in Arlington.

A plumber can’t help with your rodent infestation, though a plumber can uncover the damage they can cause to your plumbing in Arlington, and alert you to the problem and suggest you call a pest control professional. If you have plumbing in Arlington in need of repair, Benjamin Franklin plumbers can provide the expertise to ensure its repaired right the first time.

The following pest control tips from the EPA and a few from experience can assist you in pest and vermin control and assist in making your home less inviting to the unwelcome wildlife.

  • Remove sources of food, water and shelter.
  • Store food in sealed plastic or glass containers. Garbage containing food scraps should be placed in tightly covered trash cans and removed frequently.
  • Seal cracks and crevices.
  • Control fleas on pets and wash their bedding often.
  • Use screens on windows and doors to reduce flying or crawling pests. If existing screens don’t fit tightly replace them.
  • Weatherstrip doors and windows.
  • Seal openings in walls or floors, such as holes where cables and phone lines enter the home. Utilize steel wool around pipes; if possible seal this with expanding foam.
  • Seal cracks and crevices around cabinets and baseboards.
  • Cover holes in the basement and foundation with wire mesh.
  • Keep vegetation and mulch at least 18 inches from away from your home’s foundation.
  • Fix your leaky plumbing in Arlington and don’t allow water to accumulate anywhere in the home. This includes the trays under house plants or the refrigerator.
  • Don’t leave pet food and water out overnight.
  • Clutter provides nesting places for pests to breed and hide. Rid your home of newspapers, magazines, or cardboard routinely, and clear the clutter.
  • Rake the leaves, and maintain a clean and garbage free lawn. Pick up pet droppings routinely.
  • Eliminate bird feeders near the home.
  • After years of little success with cheese, we recently discovered a treat rats’ can’t resist – grapes. A few thrown into a small live trap entices them in. After nabbing three Ratzillas’ in this manner, we were finally able to keep the PVC pipe supplying an outdoor faucet intact. They can be used as bait for traditional rat traps.

You’ll find additional information about pest control on the EPA website here.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers superior plumbing services in Fort Worth, Arlington and the surrounding areas. We back our repairs with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. When you need plumbing repair, or the installation of plumbing in Arlington call the plumbing professionals that you can rely upon.