There are 1500 living rodent species which make up almost half of the mammals known to mankind.
Any one of those 1500 burrowing their way into your home can be a serious cause for concern.
Not only are rodents loud in the evening and unsightly but many spread diseases that can undermine the overall safety of your home.
If you suspect that you have a rodent infestation, it’s time to get serious about rodent removal. These problems tend to start small with just one or two mice or rats but can grow exponentially if you don’t tackle the problem head-on.
For those of you that aren’t lucky enough to have a property manager that will take care of your pest issue, below, we share 8 helpful tips that can help you get your problem under control.
1. Keep Your Food Sealed
Nothing attracts rodents more than the opportunity of getting into food. By limiting those opportunities, you immediately limit your home’s exposure to unwanted visitors.
The best way to keep your food away from rodents is to seal it and put it out of reach. This means taking foods like crackers out of low cupboards or sealing it in Tupperware rather than “soft-sealing” boxes.
This also means cleaning up after meals so leftover food doesn’t sit in your sink. Having a sealed trashcan that doesn’t emanate smells can also be helpful.
2. Mind Holes
Rodents love to live in walls and enter your house through holes. These holes are generally used for allowing pipes to connect to your sinks and other fixtures. Plumbers that manage pipe installations should seal holes around pipes but many don’t leaving large gaps that are more than adequate for rodents to slip through.
Survey your house and note gaps that exceed an inch. Once located, seal them with drywall or duct tape if you don’t have the time or budget for a more formal job.
Note that rodents can chew through tape so it should only be used as a temporary solution.
3. Sweep and Vacuum
Not all food you have lying around your house exists in your cupboards, sink, or trashcan. Some of it is in particle form and spread around your kitchen floor on sofas and rugs.
Sweeping and vacuuming regularly can take care of that problem. Going a step further and scheduling a professional floor cleaning, particularly if you have carpet, is even better.
4. Remove Nesting Materials
Do you have spare boxes or linens laying around? If you do, get rid of them.
Rodents routinely scout cardboard or fabrics to use as nesting materials. If the cardboard or linens you have are in a dark, undisturbed place, rodents will build nests right in/on top of them which can make for a serious rodent removal problem.
Garages tend to be the place where most nesting materials are sourced from. Under-sink areas are also a popular location since people store product boxes and cloth rags in those areas.
5. Keep Your Foliage Trim
Rodent problems don’t originate in houses. They start outside and then gradually find their way indoors. To cut off the problem at its source, consider concentrating some of your rodent removal efforts on your outdoor space.
Lawns that are overgrown or bushes that are unkempt both attract all kinds of rodents. We recommend making cutting your lawn and trimming your plants at least a monthly routine to mitigate your rodent risk. Go a step further by wetting down your outdoor area with pet/people safe, organic rodent repellents that can be found at most home hardware stores.
6. Drain Standing Water
Rodents need water every bit as much as they need food. If you’ve got a supply of it in the way of stagnant pools inside or outside of your home, you may attract unwanted visitors.
Standing water outside is usually a by-product of poor drainage. Your options when it comes to funneling water away from your property may be limited depending on your home’s build but if all else fails, using a push broom to break up pools is a great solution.
Indoor water pooling is almost always tied to sink areas so ensure that the water in your sink is drained before shutting down your house for the evening.
7. Call in a Pro
You can try DIY rodent prevention/removal tricks until you’re blue in the face and still not see results. If you end up in that boat, do yourself a favor and call in professional rodent services.
Pros can quickly diagnose and treat your rodent problems which will save you tons of time and even money since dealing with your problem fast can help your home avoid rodent-induced damages.
Remember, having rodents in your home means more than letting out the occasional scream when you bump into one in your kitchen. It means running the risk of a family member getting bitten, sick, or both. Avoiding those consequences is more than worth the price of a house call.
Use Our Rodent Removal Tips to Get Your Pest Problem Under Control
Reading about rodent removal tips is one thing. Actually taking the time to implement them so you can significantly cut down on your exposure to rodents is another.
We hope that what we’ve shared with you inspires you to make lifestyle changes that will lead to a cleaner and safer home.
If you find that you need additional insight on rodents, pets, or related topics, we welcome you to browse more of the content on our blog!
