For something so small, mice can cause a lot of fear and nervousness. Larger rodents such as rats are an even more unsettling problem. Seeing a mouse or rat in your house can make you upset, worried, or even embarrassed. You may feel as though these rodents have invaded your home and are taking over. They can get into your food and other belongings and even threaten your health and safety with the diseases they can carry. It is possible to eliminate these pests, both with natural and non-natural solutions. It is important to learn about these options, so you can take back your home and make it rodent-free.
Keep Food Secure
Like any animal, mice are almost constantly in search of food. Along with rats, these rodents are not afraid to try just about anything. This includes any food sources you have available in your house. Mice and rats can easily chew through cardboard boxes and plastic bags to get into just the food you have in your pantry. Thus, make sure you keep food secure in cabinets and drawers. Seal bags, containers, and bottles properly, so mice can’t get to them. If you eliminate food sources, rodents will leave your home and go somewhere else in search of their next meal.
Clean up Spilled Food
This tip leads into the next one: keeping your home clean. Rodents love a messy house, especially when that mess is spilled food. Make sure you sweep your floors frequently, especially in the kitchen after meals. Crumbs and morsels of food will attract rodents. Vacuum every week and make sure that there are no traces of food overnight when you go to bed.
Declutter Your Home
Mice and rats don’t generally hang out in the open and wander through your home in plain sight. These pests look for places to hide and quickly get out of your view. If your home is filled with clutter, including stacks of paper, clothes, rags, boxes, and other materials, rodents will have more places to conceal themselves. Getting rid of these items will reduce the number of places mice and rats can go for refuge, and they’ll eventually head somewhere else. Also, because rodents love to run along the baseboard, moving furniture out from the wall will take away quick hiding spots.
Focus on the Exterior
Rodents are coming into your house from somewhere. You can keep them from ever getting in. A good way to do this is to trim bushes and shrubs at least 4 feet from your house. This discourages rodents from hiding by entrances and other openings to your home. Make sure you are also keeping clutter away from your property.
Use Traps
Mousetraps and rat traps are tried and true solutions that people have used for decades. Most traps are simple and effective at killing these annoying rodents. The trap usually works with bait and a spring-loaded mechanism that catches the mouse or rat. It’s best to place several traps throughout your home where you think the mice or rats may be hiding. Check the traps every day.
Use Bait Stations
There are other types of traps that you can try. Some of these use poison to kill the rodents and their nests. A bait station is a box or chamber that contains a poisonous pellet, attractive to the rodent. The mouse or rat will go inside and nibble on the poison. Most of these do not kill the rodent instantly, instead, the mouse or rat will become thirsty and leave the house in search of a water source. Shortly after, the rodent will die. With other poisons, the rodent takes it back to the nest, eliminating the entire family.
Take Away Entrances
Mice and rats can get through small openings, so you should be vigilant about sealing these spaces. Use caulk around doors and windows. Put metal plates on any holes in the siding. You should also take a look at vents in your home and place mesh covers or screens over them. If there are gaps anywhere else in your home, fix them as soon as possible.
Enlist the Help of Pest Control Services
Sometimes, you may need a professional to do the job. Setting traps and poison might not be enough to keep rodents away. If you’re still struggling, it may be time for the pros to come into the scene. Pest professionals in Los Angeles, CA have experience identifying where rodents are living, how they are getting in, and how to most effectively eliminate the problem. Pest control specialists are the right choice when nothing else works and there is a serious infestation that you have to get under control.
