ABC DFW – Rodent Control Inspection Video Transcript

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00:00:00—> 00:00:14
Opening Sequence
The title at the bottom of the screen says “Reece Cantrell, Rodent and Wildlife Specialist”

Hi, my name is Reece Cantrell, Rodent and Wildlife Specialist here at ABC Home and Commercial Services.  Today we’re going to talk about what ABC Rodent specialists look for around your home and how we can prevent rodents from sneaking in. Let’s go take a look at the inside.

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00:00:15—> 00:00:51
The title at the bottom of the screen says “Attic Inspection”

So as we’re in the attic space, I’m looking for a couple of different things,  firstly the insulation. I’m looking to make sure there’s no trailing or tunneling through the insulation, whether underneath it or on the top level. I’m looking for any burrowing underneath the insulation. I’m looking for any feces and urine staining across the decking and in the insulation as well. I’m looking for sebum runs on plumbing and gas lines, and, more importantly, paw prints across the ductwork as well, just to make sure they’re not up there. Those are some indicative signs, and there is also feces and urine across the attic space that can indicate any other rodent and wildlife activity.

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00:00:52—> 00:01:24
The title at the bottom of the screen says “HVAC & Electrical Entry Points”

So now we made it over to the air conditioning unit and the electrical area. With these types of entry points into the home, it’s very easy for a rat or mouse to get into these areas and tunnel their way into your attic space, wall voids, or kitchens and bathrooms. So whenever we’re talking about air conditioning, keep in mind that mice only need a quarter of an inch of room to enter a home, so these lines are very opportunistic for rodents to be able to get into the wall. Same thing around these electrical boxes. Over time, with shifting of the foundation, these are going to pull away from the house, so it’s really important to look behind these areas to make sure that there are no entry points.

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00:01:25—> 00:02:03
The title at the bottom of the screen changes to “Gas & Plumbing Points”

Okay, so now we’ve made it to gas and plumbing lines. These are also very easy access points for rodents to enter the home. So whenever we check these spots, we want to check and make sure that the mortar around these areas is completely sealed off – so this plumbing line looks good. Now we’re going to make our way over to this gas line and look at the same thing. And this gas line looks really good as well; there’s mortar all around it. Now we’re going to move over to the plumbing spigot and check this as well. This is also a very good time to look for termites in this area as well because if this is leaking, that creates a moisture source for termites – so always make sure to check around these plumbing areas.

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00:02:04—> 00:02:30
The title at the bottom of the screen changes to “Door & Window Entry Points”

So now we’re at the windows and doorways, and what we’re looking for around here is to make sure that none of the caulk around any of the windows has come away from the window itself. This would create a very easy access point for rodents to be able to gain access into the home. We’re also going to look at the doorway, because it creates a very awesome entry point for rodents to get in. We’re going to look at the weatherstripping around the door, around the sides, and underneath the door to make sure it’s all secured to the door itself so that rats and mice can’t slide their way into your home.

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00:02:31—> 00:03:00
Title at the bottom of the screen changes to “Garage Entry Points”

So now we’re by the garage, and rodent entry points around the garage are going to look right around the bottoms. So most garages in Texas are going to be cut down here at the bottom. That’s to prevent water damage to the garage’s wood, but it’s also a great entry point for rats and mice to sneak into the garage. Another spot we like to check is the weatherstripping on the garage. It’s very easy for rats and mice to chew straight through the weatherstripping, so it’s really important to make sure your weatherstripping extends all the way to the end of the garage door.

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00:03:01—> 00:03:50
Title at the bottom of the screen changes to “Roof & Vent Entry Points”

So lastly, we’re going to talk about roofs. Roof rats in particular are excellent climbers, so anything on your roof is going to be easy access for rodents to be able to get into your attic space. Whenever we’re talking about roofs, one of the biggest entry points is your roof joints; those are areas where the soffit and the roof line meet each other. Those are great entry points for rodents to be able to gain access into the attic space. Another one is ventilation. You have whirlybirds, mushroom ventilation and 16×16 ventilation.  Any of these areas are easily accessible to rodents, allowing them to gain entry into the attic space, so all need to be caged, sealed and reinforced around the home. Another one is your utility vents; these are your exhaust vents for your toilets. It’s very easy for rodents to be able to climb down into those, so we want to make sure that those have breathable screen mesh on there as well. So those are the areas on your roof that need to be sealed off.

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00:03:51—> 00:04:00
Reece Cantrell, Rodent and Wildlife Specialist at ABC DFW is back in front of the home’s garage.

Thank you again for joining me on my inspection today. If you see any of these conducive conditions around your home, please make sure you give ABC a call. We will make sure that we keep your home secure and the rodents out.

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00:04:01—> 00:04:07
[music] Closing logo page
“ABC Home & Commercial Services”