Rodents can carry all sorts of diseases. Whether it's a mouse or a rat, if you find a rodent in your home, you need to act fast. In order to manage this situation in a safe, efficient manner, you can take these steps.

Locate and Remove Droppings

Rodents are extremely dirty, especially when it comes to their droppings. In fact, droppings from a mouse or rat might be plagued with disease. That's why it's crucial to locate and remove droppings as quickly as possible.

Check beneath objects like furniture, and inspect areas like the attic and bathroom. Droppings for a mouse will look like little black pebbles, and a rat's droppings will be a little bigger. After locating them, put on rubber glove and get a shovel. Scoop the droppings in a bag, and remove them from your home. Then, disinfect the area where you found the droppings.

Seal Up All Entry Points

Once you have removed the droppings, it's important to seal up all entry points. Doing this prevents more rodents from getting into your home. Places to check include around your home's foundation, in your home's attic, above the chimney and gaps between building materials.

In terms of your chimney, you can purchase a chimney cap to cover it completely. Made from durable steel, chimney caps seal up all gaps around your chimney. 

Even if there are small holes in your home's foundation, they need to be sealed up. This is where foundation caulk comes in handy. After putting the caulk over the holes, it will dry quickly. Since the caulk is temperature-resistant, you don't have to worry about it breaking down outside.

Hire a Rodent Control Specialist

It's important to not try to remove the rodent yourself, as it could be carrying all sorts of diseases. Instead, hire a rodent control specialist. This professional is licensed and has the right products to safely eradicate any rodents from your home.

A lot of times the specialist will set out live steel rodent traps. These traps feature chew-proof steel, so no matter how hard the rat or mouse tries, they won't be able to get out of the traps. In order to attract a rodent, the specialist will put peanut butter, cheese or even trash in the trap. These things lure the rodent out. Thanks to live traps, all rodents in your home can be removed in a humane way.

Finding a rodent, such as a mouse or rat, in your home can be startling. In order to deal with this pest situation in an apt manner, you can take the steps above.