Ridding Your Home of Insects

Tips For Keeping Rodents Under Control

by Ted Miller

It doesn't matter if you live in the country or the city; you'll probably have to battle rodents at some point. Rodents are attracted to homes because of their warmth in the winter and the source of food, shelter, and water all year long. If you have fruit or nut trees in your yard, you may have a never-ending battle with the pests. Here are a few tips for keeping rodents under control.

Eliminate Their Water Source

Don't leave water out overnight if you can help it. Bring your pets inside at night if possible so you don't have to leave water out for them. You may also want to empty birdbaths at night and refill them in the morning. Remove items from your yard that hold onto standing water after a rain. These steps will also reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes and water sources for bugs such as roaches. Repair leaky faucets and pipes inside your home. Rodents don't need a lot of water, and a slowly dripping inside or outside faucet can be enough to draw their interest.

Seal Up Food

It's difficult to remove food that attracts rodents since they'll eat about anything. If you grow a vegetable garden, it's a paradise for rats and other pests. When you have a rodent problem, consider covering your garden with netting or wire to keep them out if possible. Place rat guards around the trunks of fruit and nut trees so they can't climb them to reach the food. Also, keep fallen fruit picked up so it isn't easy for rats to access at night. In addition, seal your garbage can and don't leave pet food or bird food out all night for the rats to eat. You can't remove all the food from your house, so instead, seal it in containers when possible to lock in odors that attract rodents and to keep them from chewing through sacks and boxes. Try to be tidy when you eat, and clean your home frequently to vacuum up crumbs that attract pests.

Bring In A Pest Control Expert

Nearly everyone has to deal with rodents now and then, but if you suspect you have an infestation that is growing, then it's time to call in a pest control expert before the situation gets out of hand. Rodents carry dangerous diseases, and they can destroy your home. You want them to stay out of your house. An expert will offer advice on areas where you can add screens or sealant to keep the pests from getting in. He or she knows the signs to look for to tell how bad the infestation is. Most importantly, a pest control expert knows how to attack the problem.

Rodents are leery of new things such as traps and poison on foods, so they can be difficult to eliminate, especially once they notice traps are killing their friends. To be most effective, traps have to be placed in a precise manner to entice the rodents. The right bait needs to be used, and you need to set as many traps as possible to try and wipe out the most number of rodents on the first strike. Ideally, you want to kill or trap the rodents but not harm other animals in your yard such as squirrels and birds. A pest control professional can help you set up your attack to get rid of rodents on your property in a safe way and keep them from getting inside your house.

For more information and options, contact a local pest control company, such as Xtermco Inc.

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