Rodents can cause huge problems for humans. Through mice and rats, you and your family can contract many diseases, and they have the ability to damage your home from the inside out.
Be Proactive About Rodent Control
The good news is there are tried and true methods for preventing mouse and rat infestations. Learn how to remove rodents from your home and prevent them from returning.
Preventing Mouse and Rat Infestations
Remove current rodent occupants
There are two methods for getting rid of mice and rats: trapping and baiting. For trapping, use snap-style traps, which are designed to kills rodents quickly. For baiting, be sure to use tamper-resistant bait stations that hold the baits in place and keep children and pets out. Place both traps or bait along common pathways where you find droppings and gnaw marks. Ledges, fence rails, and foundations are typical paths.
Seal up your home
Close up all holes along your exterior using recommended rodent-proofing materials. Pay particular attention to doors, windows, and vents.
Eliminate outdoor access
Trim back overhanging trees that enable rodents to hop onto your roof. Also, keeping your trees properly pruned gives rodents one less place to hide from predators.
Clean up that yard
Remove piles of debris, clutter, and garbage from around your yard. Plant shrubs and bushes at least 3 feet from buildings. These spaces provide safe habitats for rodents.
Remove outdoor food sources
Gardens and fruit trees can be a real draw for rodents. If you have fruit trees, regularly remove dropped fruit from the ground. Keep the tree pruned to prevent hiding spots for rodents. Apply a rat guard to your trees by securing a piece of sheet metal 2 feet high around your tree’s trunk. In the garden, keep it free of rotting food and hiding places. Plant members of the mint family in and around your garden to deter. You can also spray predator urine (such as fox) around the perimeter of your garden as a deterrent. Typically, you can find this at your local garden store in both powder and liquid form.
Build a wall
It doesn’t need to be a big wall, or even an actual wall. Creating a 2-foot-wide barrier of cement or crushed rock serves as another deterrent to mice and rats.
Practice cleanliness in and around your home
If rodents don’t have food, they certainly have no reason to want to invade your home. Don’t leave food sitting out in and around your home. Make sure garbage cans and pet food are securely contained in rodent-proof bins.
Invest in mint
Both rats and mice avoid the scent of mint. Plant mint outside in your garden and rub peppermint oil indoors along attic beams and other areas where you’ve experienced rodent problems. Even leaving some dried mint leaves can help.
Pick up a new friend from your local shelter
Cats are a great deterrent for keeping rodents out of your yard and away from your home. The cat doesn’t need to be a good mouser to scare off mice and rats. Their scent alone serves as a deterrent.