Do you suspect that rats and mice may be chewing on your air conditioning wires? Rats and mice can be some of the most destructive and sneaky wildlife there is. The problem with rats and mice, is that they can do a lot of damage before you even realize they are there.  And the last thing you need during a Memphis summer is for your air conditioning to go out!

Because rats are so much larger, they can be much louder than mice. However, unless they are chewing right next to the area you’re in, you may not even know they are there. The only sure way to tell quickly and easily  is by their droppings. Rats and mice can be identified by the size, color, and shape of their droppings.

Rats are nocturnal, so you will hear more activity late at night when they are searching for food.  If you hear scratching in your walls and attic late at night and in the early morning hours, then you more than likely have a rat or mouse problem.

Air conditioning lines are easy to get to once the rats and mice have found an entrance into your home. If they chew through the electrical lines this will create a fire hazard. This can easily happen especially when it is in the heat of the summer and your attic is already very hot so it would not take long for this to light and speed a fire throughout your home.

Rats and mice can also chew through plastic pipes that hold water. Depending on the size of the hole and the water pressure, it could create a slow small leak, or the pipe could burst to flood your home. When the leak is small it may not be noticeable for a long time.

Leaking water can soak through the wood, insulation, and eventually through the walls. Once it has soaked through the walls the water damage could be irreparable. If this happens you would need to cut the wall out to prevent mold.

Any type of water damage has a very high potential to create mold.  In the end, no matter which leaks you get, it will be very expensive to fix.

Rats and mice carry several diseases, bacteria, and mites. Mice are so small they can get around unnoticed for quite some time. They may be walking across your counters in your kitchen and you wouldn't  even know. If mice or rats have been on your counters and you touch this area you could transfer the bacteria from one place to another. You could also accidentally ingest the bacteria.

This is a huge health hazard to humans and domestic animals as well. The plague, which killed millions of people, was caused by rats and mice. The plague is most commonly spread through the bite of a flea that was on rodent. As you know fleas will bite animals and people. Once the rat dies the infected fleas will find another source of food such as cats and dogs, and can easily spread throughout your home.

The symptoms of the Bubonic plague are fever, chills headache, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms can appear within 2 to 4 days after exposure. There is also Septicemic plague and Pneumonic Plague, but luckily these can be treated with commonly available antibiotics.

Apex Wildlife Control takes the health of our clients very seriously. We offer fecal cleaning and deodorization services to our clients once we have trapped all the animals and removed them from the property.

To safely clean up wild animal feces, you need the proper safety equipment to prevent the spread of any bacteria from surfaces and inhalation of the particles being stirred up. Our technicians wear a full body suit, gloves, shoe booties, goggles, and a respirator to clean up fecal droppings.

Aerosol deodorizers are used once the fecal has been cleaned up.  Deodorizers are also used when we are called to remove dead rats. Sometimes rats will be traveling through the walls and fall into a crevice and get stuck. Once they are stuck, it may only take a day or two for them to die of dehydration.

It is important to extract the rat or mice before they die. Once the wildlife has died we have to locate it by smell and that can be tricky. The technician will drill small holes into the wall in the area that you can smell it the most. He will then utilize a Boroscope to locate the rodent.After the technician has removed the rodent we will use the deodorizer to remove the odor.

Rodents can carry several types of bacteria and germs that can make you and your family very ill.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe illness caused from exposure to
the droppings or urine of deer mice that carry the virus. About 1- 5 hantavirus cases are reported each year in Washington State and about one third of the cases have been fatal. It is important to take precautions when cleaning up an enclosed space such as a shed, cabin or trailer where mice have nested or rodent droppings are present.  

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria called Leptospira that infects both
humans and a wide range of animals. It occurs worldwide but is more common in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Some wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and rodents, carry the Leptospira bacteria and pass them in their urine. Soil or water contaminated with
infected urine are the most common causes of human infection.



Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat, chipmunk or prairie dog. It usually causes large sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs. Dogs, and especially cats, can also become infected and can spread the
disease to their human companions. People and domestic animals like dogs and cats could be bitten by infected fleas while traveling to other areas of the country.  Plague is treatable with antibiotics.



Tularemia is a bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis and is most
commonly found in wild animals (e.g., wild rodents, squirrels, rabbits, hares and beavers). People and their pets can become ill from tularemia by coming into contact with infected dead or ill animals through animal bites and exposure to contaminated blood or raw meat. Tularemia can also be transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (e.g. ticks, biting flies), exposure to contaminated water or soil, and inhalation of
bacteria. One to 10 cases of tularemia in people are reported every year. To prevent exposures to tularemia, don't handle dead or ill animals; avoid animal bites, tick and deer fly bites; and avoid direct bare-hand contact with blood and raw meat from wild animals. Don't drink untreated water in areas where tularemia is known to occur in wild
animals.

If we completely seal the property we can guarantee against re-entry. The way we seal and trap together we can guarantee the removal of the wildlife. Once we seal your home the animals must go to our traps for a food source.

At Apex Wildlife Control, we also offer a fecal cleaning and deodorization service.  Our technicians can have your home feeling clean and fresh again in a few short hours. If your insulation is ruined then we will let you know this upfront.  Our company does offer fecal cleanup, but we do not currently offer attic restorations. An attic restoration may be required if you have heavily soiled insulation from rat fecal and urine.

 So if you have rats or mice chewing on your air conditioning wires, give us a call today!  Our skilled technicians are here to help!