Some people wake up to small rodent droppings around their homes. In a lot of cases, this is thanks to not taking out the trash often enough or from leaving doors open. However, some homes are ripe for exploitation and harborage from rodents. Location and age of the home can both be factors in your homes risk of rodents. There are many things homeowners can do to prevent issues. Sometimes a more professional opinion and skill set is needed.
Keep Doors Closed
First, the obvious. Are you leaving your doors open to let the mice in? Even with a screen door, rodents can still easily chew their way through. Treat your garage the same way, keep exits shut, close garage door when it doesn’t need to be open, etc. These are the simplest ways to protect your home from rodents.
Stow Away Pet Food
On the topic of garages, many families leave their pet’s food bags in the garage. This is fine, just make sure to keep it in a container that is able to be sealed. My dog's food container is laced with scratches from a night we left the door to the garage open. Two raccoons had spent hours scratching away.
Raccoons and rodents love dog food.
Make Sure Your Home Doesn't Have Holes
The next step is to make sure that the exterior structure of your home is free of openings or broken vents. These are prime areas for mice and rats to enter the structure. Rodents can squeeze through even tiny holes, leaving them nice and cozy in the wall voids of your home. Most of these openings can be difficult to find, and some are even under raised foundation homes. It can be difficult to find each and every opening, we recommend finding a professional. Sealing the home isn’t the last step. You don’t want to conceal rodents in areas without first trapping them.
Check Your Trees
A more overlooked entryway for rodents into your home is through the roof. The easiest way to prevent this is usually to trim back any trees that are around the structure. Rodents climb trees easily and make the leap onto the roof from there. Doing this will typically be enough to keep rodents out of your attic.
Location is Everything
For many, the location of their home can mean a persistent rodent problem. Homes near construction areas, busy downtown areas and rural towns are all susceptible to rodent activity. It’s easy to get your home sealed from rodents entering, but what about the rodents on the outside that might try to break vents and tear up your car’s wiring? Rodents can be a real nuisance and health hazard. The best way to control those populations is with exterior rodent pest control using bait stations. Rodent bait is usually only available for purchase to professional pest control companies and we do not suggest using these baits on your own as they are can be dangerous if misused.
No home is ever completely safe from the nuisances of the outside world, but problems can be controlled for the most part. Rodents are dangerous due to their disease carrying nature and destructive behavior. It is important to take precautions when dealing with exterior pests, preventing them from invading our homes and lives.