Creating A Positive Environment

Once rodents make their presence known in your home, they can be challenging to eliminate. Part of the reason for their hardiness is they reproduce quickly. As soon as you suspect a rodent problem, there are several strategies you can use to fix the problem.

Enforce Your Perimeter

To have a rodent problem, you likely have a breach in your home that is allowing them to enter. Take a look around your home to see if you notice any cracks or holes in the walls that might be the entrance point. Another strategy is to have your home evaluated by a contractor. There might be issues in the roof or foundation that will be harder for you to notice. One of the best times to have your home evaluated is during the warmer months before the potential for rodent problems becomes apparent. Other entrance points for rodents can be the chimney or large gaps where pipes enter and leave your home. If you cannot fix these issues, you will need to contact the appropriate contractor to have gaps around pipes minimized or a screen fitted over your chimney.

Eliminate Resources

You do not want your home to be appealing to rodents and food and water will make your home all the more appealing to them. Focus on eliminating exterior and interior sources for food and water. One problem that can lure rodents closer to your home is your trash cans. Try to use bins that have tight-fitting lids, so at least the rodents cannot enter the bin. Additionally, find a place further away from the perimeter of your home to keep your trash. You do not want the smell of trash to attract rodents and other vermin.

Keeping the inside of your home as clean as possible with regular vacuuming and sweeping will minimize the number of crumbs available for rodents. Another consideration is not leaving food and water out for your pets whenever possible and cleaning their dishes promptly. Find ways to protect food that you typically keep on the shelf or in the pantry. Cardboard boxes may be enticing for rodents and they can easily chew through them. Transfer all foods that come in boxes into plastic storage bins.

Trap And Kill Them

Using a combination of strategies will provide the most benefits. If you will use traps, use both conventional bait traps along with glue traps. Some rodents might be savvy enough to realize the bait traps are suspicious, so they might actively avoid them, but they may not notice the glue trap. Hide these traps in high-traffic areas, especially where rodents would typically look for food and water. If you use baited traps, opt for ones that allow you to include your own bait. Much like other vermin, rodents do have food preferences and these preferences might change depending on what is available. You may want to try bacon or something sweet to attract them. Your bait traps will only be effective if you make all other food sources inaccessible.

You must tackle a rodent problem quickly due to their fast reproduction rate. Stopping a rodent problem involves not only killing the current ones but also making your home inaccessible and inhospitable to future rodents.

For more information, contact a rodent control service.