Hantavirus hits King county's Eastside, greater Seattle.

HANTAVIRUS HITS King County's Eastside, greater Seattle. One dead in Issaquah and another hospitalized from Redmond, Washington from mouse-carried hantavirous disease.

Seattle has quickly gained prominence with it's very high Rat population--greatly due to the moderate climate as well as a growing population that has filled rural areas with homes and tied all cities together.  Now we have news from the outlying areas where mice are more prominent. 

Cascade technicians have long known that rats are predominant in the city and suburban areas, however, wherever neighborhoods abut natural areas mice are more common.  Along homes that skirt rural and wilderness areas mice are rampant. But finding the killer strain of hantavirus in Washington is new, and a particular concern located this close to a major metropolitan area. 

In the past hantavirus outbreaks that resulted in deaths most often occurred in rural areas or small towns. Hantavirus is can be deadly and is spread by various types of wild mice, often known as "field mice" or "dear mice." 

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Automobiles get Trashed by Rodents in Redmond, WA

This engine compartment was trashed by rodents. The cleaning work will be considerable, but the damage to hoses, belts and wiring could cost a lot more $$$$!. "This is the engine bay/ mouse motel of a 1961 Olds Super 88. This was my great grand dad's car, and has been sitting in a barn since 1977. I just recently purchased it from my late grand dad's estate. Now I am making plans to get it to my house to bring it back to a road worthy condition, with no mouse nest!" Thanks to Brent in Redmond Washington for the story. Cascade provides rodent and pest control for the Redmond, Kirkland and Greater Eastside area. For more information about Cascade and rodent control see For pest control in Redmond For Pest control in Kirkland

Rat Infest Autos in Puget Sound Area

Auto mechanics all over the Puget Sound Region are finding a huge increase in damage due to rodents. They chew through wiring and other electronic harnesses, hoses and upholstery resulting in hundreds to thousands of dollars in damage. This photo was shared by Gary Garvin and shows a dead rat stuck under a Honda. Cascade provides rat and rodent control in the Greater Seattle area, including the Eastside (Kirkland, etc) and Everett. Cascade also provides rat/rodent control in Oak Harbor, WA. For more information see

Cost of Pest Control at busy Airports?

With all the jets going back and forth, and the enormous amount of people coming and going, we mostly notice the rush, the security and the schedules of Arrivals and Departures. But with all those people come food--restaurants as well as the food services to replenish the airliners for their passengers. And there is the waste: waste food and cooking debris...and also all the waste products that come off the airplanes. There is usually an on-going rat or mouse population around airports that, hopefully, you don't have to see. Then you add all the places that jets travel and the possibility of transiting parasites, insects and particularly bed bugs in all that luggage! What does it cost? Well, Los Angeles' airport, LAX, has just caught up with the pest control budgets employed by other major airports and it will be $750,000 per years to protect the airport from runaway pest infestations. Part of the cost will insure that there is a pest control technician on site 24 hours/day, 365 days a year! Our own SeaTac has a similar budget and has had long-term experience with rat problems.

For more information about rats, rat control or rodent control. For information about rodent exclusion and preventing rats. here we discuss how to block out rats, to create a rodent-proof barrier. For information about why rats and mice are so successful. Here we discuss the abilities of rats and mice to climb, gnaw, chew, jump, swim and burrow their way into a home or business. Don Leland

Rats Used to Detect Land-Mines & TB

Rats, those pesky rats! For most of us that's all they are, pests that destroy things, spread their filth and spread bacteria and other disease pathogens. However, rats are also being used to save lives. Specially trained rats are being used to sniff out land-mines.

These rats are a particular species of giant rat from Tanzania. They are trained to sniff out land-mines which, if not detected, keep many thousands of acres of land unsafe and uninhabitable. They are also trained to sniff out TB--tuberculosis, which is still widespread in Africa.

Although these rats are a different species than what we have here in the greater Seattle area, this usage of their larger cousins underscores the acute abilities that all rats have. When we are treating for rat infestations we are up against some very powerful "noses" that leave these challenging pests at an advantage, often suspect of any new smells...so they are wary of traps and baits. Don Leland

Even The Owner of a Pest Control Company - Rats!

Yes, even an owner of Cascade Pest Control can have persistent rat problems. Here I am holding my crawlspace access door, obviously gnawed on by rats. I had heard--late at night--a chewing sound under the house. Being well versed in pest control I did a thorough inspection of the house. I found 6 access points on the roof that, thankfully, rodents--rats, mice or squirrels--hadn't yet found. Then came the crawlspace. I did notice that the crawl access door didn't fit well and their were rat "grease marks" or "rubbings" aright around a gap in the crawlspace access door. It is a 9 year old home and I'd never found rodent droppings in the crawlspace before...but now they were here. They'd found a gap in the crawlspace access door, had created a maze of tunnels in the subfloor insulation--which compromises my subfloor insulation, and gnawing on some wood in the subfloor support area. At first I thought I'd sealed the door. But eventually I had to go the whole route, the way we at Cascade recommend and with the combination of specially placed baits and traps they are just about all gone. And I learned that "hardy board" is NOT rodent proof! And, much to my chagrin, my technicians already knew it. Last but not least is ongoing rodent control to periodically check for activity and new entry points. Also establishing a perimeter defense with bait/trap stations is important. But, just the same, it can and does happen to everyone, even the owner of the pest control company!

Don Leland

Seattle Ranked 6th Most Rat Infested City

Huffington post published a list of the 12 most rat infested cities and Seattle came in at #6, Chicago ranks as the "rattiest" city in the nation. But rating number six is no small thing. According to the article 21 million homes are invaded by rats every year. And the fall/winter season is when rats and other rodents infest homes the most as they move in finding shelter from the cold.

Cascade Pest Control delivers solid rat and rodent control throughout the greater Seattle area. We provide a rodent inspection or assessment, rat elimination, and ongoing rodent protection. Cascade Pest Control also provides rodent-proofing, or "pest exclusion." Call Cascade today to protect your home from rats and other rodents. 1-888-989-8979 Don Leland

Influx of Rodents on Mercer Island

While we at Cascade always keep customer details confidential, we do have a responsibility to inform our clients--and potential clients--when there trends occur. There are several cities, or areas (groups of cities) where we have received an increase in calls for rat infestations. And our Cascade technicians have also gotten calls from our established clients for renewed rodent activity. One of the predominant locations where we've had such an increase is Mercer Island. Mercer Island is known for it's fine homes and an abundance of tree and waterfront. It is perhaps the amount of waterfront that lends itself to rat infestation on Mercer Island. Also, Mercer Island has a number of ravines and "green belts"--wooded areas--that can harbor rodents. Add all that to the very basic fact that rodents follow residential development as these rodents--old-world rats and mice--are commensal, meaning they "live with humans," and Mercer Island is set up for rat problems.

Our experience is that residents of Mercer Island are very cooperative, and they are usually understanding that homes with complex roof structures and other features can sometimes create vulnerable spots on a home where rodents can gain access. The larger and more complex the home, the more challenging the rat control issue can be. Cascade Pest Control is aware of the issue and ready to respond. We are devoted to responding to and resolving tough rat infestation problems as they crop up on Mercer Island. Don Leland

Cascade's Video Approach Headlines Industry Newsletter

Cascade Pest Control was honored by the leading industry newsletter, Pest Control Technology. This is an honor as PCT is the nations leading source for pest control news and information. Pest Control Technology found that Cascade's efforts (thank you, Scott Bouwens) were exemplary in our approach to help the public understand the problem of rodent infestations, especially rats. The video demonstrates how many points there are where rats can enter a house structure and what professional pest control can do to control rats, including exclusion efforts. Technician performing rodent inspection for rats and/or mice. Don Leland

Rats, Mice: What is a Rodent?

We throw around these terms but a "rodent" is a particular animal that seems to have plagued humanity for eons. But what is a rodent? Rodents are mammals, so they are covered by hair, give birth to living young, the young are nourished on milk secreted by mammary glands, and besides molars with only an upper and lower pair of enlarged chisel-like teeth, rodents lack canine teeth. Rats and mice have 4 toed front feet and 5-toed hind feet. They both have skinny, almost naked tails. What's amazing is that rodents 2 pair of incisor teeth are enameled on the front only, the working of the upper pair against the lower ones wears down the large upper ones resulting in a sharpened edge. Rodents have the highest mammalian reproductive capacity. That's just a start when it comes to what constitutes "rodents" and what they can do. Call Cascade Pest Control is you suspect you have any problems with rats or mice...today. Rodents may eat or contaminate up to 20% of the world's human food supply! Don Leland

Cascade's New Informative Rodent Video

We at Cascade Pest Control are happy to announce a new and very informative video about rodents: Rats and Mice, their behavior and examples of what might be found at a home. In the video we explore rat evidenced and signs, what rodents eat, and the many places in a home that rats and mice can gain entry. We explore the house exterior, roof, crawlspace and more. Rats are an important pest in the greater Seattle area and they run rampant on Mercer Islann, and in communities like Medina, Bellevue, Issaquah and Kirkland laregly due to all the waterfront areas. But rats are not confined there. Rat populations are soaring throughout the eastside (of Lake Washington), south King county and throughout most of Snohomish county due to the growth in human population. Rats are "commensal rodents" meaning they live with or near humans--actually dependent on human habitation. So rats are now being found throughout all residential neighborhoods, whether urban or suburban. Rats also cause considerable damage to homes and can carry harmful diseases. Please take a look at our rodent vieo to learn more. http://www.cascadepest.com/videos/ Don Leland

NPR "Death Of Popular Hawk Highlights Concerns Over Rat Poison"

Today NPR hosted a needed piece about the use of certain rodenticides and their sometimes unfortunately unintended effects on wildlife and/or pets. Some rat and mouse baits can be toxic to wildlife and pets when they consume the mouse or rat that has died (or is ill) from the rodenticide poision. These animals are all omnivorse or carnivores--most notably raptors, birds of prey, becuase they are small and cannot tolerate much toxins. The dead or dying mouse or rat still carries the toxin in their bloodstream which is now consumed by the animal--wild or pet. Part of the controversy stems from consumer use where the average person is not trained, let alone licensed, to handle rodenticides with a full consideration of mitigating risks to children, pets and wildlife. California has banned the sale of some rat and mouse poisons to the general public for this reason. We at Cascade Pest Control greatly rely on trapping to being with. Trapping is likely more "humane" anyway and, besides eliminating secondary poisoning to hawks and other animals, insures that the dead rodent won't die inside a home causing a horrible odor problem. We do use rodenticides, however, they are applied by fully trained abnd licensed technicians and placed in tamper resistant bait stations when needed outdoors. Additionally, consideration of pets and wildlife is fully considered. Obviously, all of this has to be blanced with concern around rats and mice and the diseases they carry, as well as other damage they do. Thankfully, the NPR interview mentioned the fact that we do need effective rodent control because the threat from rodents is very real. They cited the recent illnesses that occurred in a National Park. Red Tailed Hawk, Rat Infestation, Enclosed Rodenticide Bait Station Don Leland