How Can Rodents Be Controlled?

Rodents such as rats and mice are not only messy and annoying to have around, but they can also carry diseases and cause damage to your personal property. You can usually tell when they are around if you spot rodent droppings in the area, which would more often than not be near food sources, shredded paper, chewed fabric, and the like.

Rodents can be very stubborn, which is why permanently controlling and removing them may take a few more steps than just setting traps and poison. These two only take care of the rodents present – but what about future intruders?

Preventing access and taking away possible things attracting them inside your property is just as important as eliminating those that have already gotten inside.

The first step to preventative maintenance is determining their sources of food, water, and shelter – the trifecta of rodent comfort.

Common Sources of Food, Water, and Shelter

• Food kept in unsealed containers such as a bag of chips, a sack of rice, a box of cereal, a plastic of crackers, a bag of flour, and the like.
• Pet food and water that has been left out overnight.
• Fruits and vegetables left in open bowls outside of the refrigerator.
• Pipes and faucets that are leaking.
• Trash cans and compost bins left open.
• Tiny holes or dark cabinets that provide warmth

If you find any of these within your home, do what you can to keep them at bay by using more sealed containers, keeping produce in the fridge, fixing your pipes, and regularly cleaning your cabinets.

The next step to control rodents in your property is blocking off their access points.

Common Access Points

• Holes around cabinets, closets, windows, doors, or crawl spaces that lead to the outside
• Holes around the sink or appliance pipes
• Cracked areas in the basement
• Unscreened ventilation in the attic
• Vents without any screens

If you are able to seal off all the holes and screen up the necessary areas, the next step is to get rid of the rodents already within the property.

Best ways to get rid of rodents inside your home

• Set up multiple traps in areas that they frequently pass and clean these up regularly – be sure to use gloves, thoroughly disinfect all the areas, and wash your hands well.
• Hire a professional pest control expert to assess the infestation, find where they are sheltering, and eliminate them from the source.
• Opt for regular pest control preventative maintenance to ensure you property stays rodent-free

Pest control companies use a combination of different tactics to get rid of mice and rats within your homes or offices. Moreover, they not only work to kill off rodents, but they lay out a strategy for decontamination and restoration in order to manage the situation and prevent recurring batches.

Because of how stubborn rodent infestations can be, we highly recommend outsourcing a professional to properly eliminate existing batches, thoroughly clean up contaminated areas, and perform a routine session every few months in order to maintain a rodent-free space.