Andy Woolworth: Hi! I am Andy Woolworth with Victor. Today I'm showing you how to effectively rodent-proof your home.

Now I'm going to discuss the importance of rodent prevention. In the past century alone, more than 10 million people have died from rodent borne diseases. Although, rodents are not major threats to our everyday health, it is justified to be concerned about diseases spread by rodents.

By their very nature and design, rodents make excellent vehicles for harboring and rapidly transporting diseases. Rodents are well adapted to living close to humans. They and their parasites share our homes. They nest, eat and sleep in the furniture where we eat and sleep, and we don't even realize it.

As a result of our proximity to rodents, we are quite vulnerable to the potential spread of any pathogens carried by these pests. Rodents harbor a wide range of parasites such as mites and ticks that can carry lethal pathogens. Even without parasites, rodents can directly transmit deadly germs excreted in their urine and feces.

In one week's time, rodents produce hundreds of fecal pellets, deposit urine in thousands of areas, and shed their hair dispersing fragments, pathogens, and possibly harmful diseases including Salmonella, Lyme Disease, Typhus, Hantavirus, and the Plague. These disease are proven to lead to skin lesions, intestinal disorders, renal failure, fever, attacks on the circulatory and respiratory systems, and sometimes death.

Rodents fly with us, drive with us, and live on the ships, buses, and trains that transport us and our food around the globe. A hitchhiking road with its hitchhiking parasites and pathogens go from one end of the planet to another in the time it takes to fly aboard our super jets. Inside our buildings where food, water and harborage are readily available, rodents can breed prolifically. This can result in hundreds of rodents living and moving about our homes. Disease organisms present within these rodent populations can spread rapidly to infect people and pets. It is critical to understand the importance of rodent prevention and take the proper steps to protect your home and your family.