Rodent exclusion is when we come to your property and inspect the building and the surrounding property for things that will allow rats and other rodents to get into your home. We will find these entry points and other vulnerabilities and come up with a plan to remediate the issues we find. If we can limit the number of entry points into your home or business, then the chances of having a rat infestation are drastically reduced.

Quite often, these entry points can be out of reach of the average homeowner. Issues like missing shingles on a roof or a while in the eaves are not easily fixed and should not be attempted except by a professional. Tall ladders are not easy to climb, then working on a roof with a pitch can also be quite dangerous if you don’t have the right equipment and training.
Not all issues are quite so inaccessible or dangerous to try to fix on your own. Most are quite simple, or at least in a place where it is easy to work. These entry points can be right in front of you, but if you don’t know what you are looking for, you might miss it.

Here are four things you can look and take care of lower your chances of winding up with rats in your home.

1 – Gaps and opening in windows and doors.
Check all of your windows and doors for any gaps or openings. If you have any broken windows that you have not gotten around to fixing or screens that have been ripped, you should move those repairs up to the top of the list of things to take care of. You also have to check for things that are not quite so obvious such a door that does not close flush with the door frame or door that has gaps on the bottom or sides. This includes your garage door. Remediation for these gaps might be as simple as adding or replacing a door sweep or bottom seal on the garage door.
If the door isn’t closing properly, you may need to replace the door, or at least fix the door frame to allow the door to close properly.
In a lot of areas, houses settle over time, so you might see that your garage door is not closing properly or part the frame is starting to buckle slightly. Remember that rats can crawl through space the size of a quarter. Mice can get through space the size of a dime. Any Gaps you see need to blocked or fixed. If there is an issue with the garage door, you might need to bring in a professional. You don’t want to make matters worse.

2 – Trees on your property.
If you have trees right up against your house, you can be giving rats a natural ladder they can use to get to your roof and your attic. If you have a tree that is close enough for the limbs to be overhanging and touching your roof, then rodents have direct access. You need to make sure that the limbs of the trees are nowhere near your roof. Trees can be an issue from the other end as well. Trees have very large root systems, and tree roots can get through practically anything from water pipes to the foundation of your house. Besides these issues being expensive to fix on their own, any of these cracks or holes will give rodents an entryway into your home that is very accessible for them and quite difficult for you to get to.
If you have trees that bare fruit, you may also be attracting rats as well, who are always scavenging for food. Don’t let the fruit sit on the tree longer than necessary and if they get overripe and fall, be sure to pick them up right away.

3 – Trash Cans.
Where you store your trash cans, and the condition of the cans and lids are important to check. People usually store their trash cans right up against the house when they are not out at the curb waiting for pickup. A lot of times, people will also have a small shelter or area where garbage cans are stored. Make sure that your garbage cans are in good condition with no holes or crack and check to see that the lids fit properly and securely. The lids should also be intact without holes or cracks. When you place a bag of garbage in your garbage can, you want to check that the lids properly shut. So, don’t overstuff a can.
Also, check the area around where you store your garbage cans to make sure there is no garbage, especially food scraps on the ground. If you have a storage area for your garbage cans, you need to check and clean that area regularly, especially if your area is closed in. You want to make sure there is no garbage or debris in the area and you also want to make sure that there is no odor emanating from the area that would attract any rodents or other critters.

4 – Pet food and bird feeders.
Just as we like to spend time outdoors enjoying our yards, so do our pets. We will often leave out water and food for our pets while they are outside. It is important to do so, especially if in warmer weather, to make sure your pets don’t dehydrate. Many people have cats that are outdoors most of the time, so they will put their food dish outside as well. Unfortunately, rats are neither considerate nor can they read the name on the bowl. If you leave food outside so your pet can get to it, then the rats can get to it as well. Do not leave pet food outside unattended and if you leave food out for your pet while they are outside, remember to bring it back inside when they come back in. Since rats are nocturnal, do not leave pet food out overnight.
If you are going to leave out seed in a bird feeder, make sure the feeder is off the ground in a way that the rats cannot get to it, and even better get a feeder that is easy for the birds to access, but difficult for the rats.

These are only a few of the easier things you can look for to make sure that you are not inadvertently attracting the rats to your house. Remember that there are many other things to look for. You can see many of them on our website at https://pinnaclepest.com/rodent-exclusion/. Anyone can do some of the things that should be checked. Some require you to be handy with the tools, and some require professional intervention. Pinnacle Pest Control offers rodent exclusion services. We will come to you and completely inspect your property and come up with a plan to safeguard your home and your family. Call Pinnacle Pest Control today at 916.381.5793 for more information and to set up an appointment.