Your home should be the one place where you can feel completely relaxed, but that’s not exactly possible when you’ve got some uninvited guests in your home. While some people may choose to keep a mouse or a rat as a pet, the presence of wild rodents in your home is definitely not something you want to ignore.
Other than increasing the risk of unpleasant encounters, not dealing with mice and other pests in your home could lead to a number of different problems around the house such as your electrical wiring getting damaged. Furthermore, rodents also present a major health risk as they can contaminate food as well as spread dangerous and potentially deadly diseases such as Hantavirus. Needless to say, prevention is better than cure. With a couple of pest control tips up your sleeve, you can ensure a safe, rodent-free home.
Block any potential entry points
By far the best way to deal with these unwanted guests is to stop them from getting inside your home in the first place. The first step you should take is go around your home and detect any holes or potential entry points rodents can use to break in. Inspect the walls and foundation, as well as your garage, basement, and roof. Make sure to check for missing shingles, loose siding, and any cracks in foundation.
Keep in mind, mice and other pests are capable of entering through even the tiniest openings. Your safest bet would be to identify cracks, gaps, and crevices, and then make all the necessary repairs. Fall season is the time when rodents start their search for shelter from cold temperatures, and that would be the best time to call in the pros and have them inspect your home and make recommendations.
Seal foods and garbage bins
Aside from looking for warm spaces they can crawl into during colder months, rodents are also attracted to different food items. Some mice are omnivores, meaning they’ll eat practically everything they can get their paws on, from pet food to seeds and ground grains from bird food mixtures to dry foods such as sugar and flour.
Make sure to keep these food items tightly sealed and stored away in airtight container. Also, keep your bird feeders as far away from your home as possible – they’re a major siren call to these pests. Your garbage bins are not safe from rodents either, so secure these as well, either by using air proof lids to seal them or securing them with heavy rocks.
Take a diagnostic measure by setting live traps indoors
Pests may be nasty and annoying, but some people may prefer a more humane approach to getting rid of mice and other pests, and this is where live mouse traps come in handy. Set these indoors throughout the year. They will allow you to trap the rodents without killing them, after which you can release them outside, far away from where they were trapped.
Although this is a good way to catch a couple of rodents and prevent an infestation, if you suspect your home has already been infested, calling in the pros is your safest bet. According to experts from Anthem pest control, hiring preventative pest control services could potentially prevent thousands of dollars worth of damage while also ensuring that your and your family’s health is not jeopardized in any way. And even then, you don’t have to worry about toxic residue or harmful chemicals, since the products that companies like these use to subdue an infestation are safe.
Make it a habit to regularly clean your home
Keeping up on your household chores such as vacuuming and mopping the floors and cleaning the countertops is essential for maintaining a pest-free abode. The cleaner your home, the less attractive it will be to rodents. Moreover, by tackling these chores, you’re also making sure that there are no crumbs or food scraps left on the ground, thus eliminating another food source for pests.
If you own pets, make sure that there is no food left over in their bowls. If not, weigh the pros and cons of having a pet and consider getting a cat or vermin-killing dog breeds – they are good to have around and will often catch rodents before they are able to form a nest and begin reproducing.
Wrapping up
Wild rodents are never good news, and in order to keep rodent infestations at bay, you’ll need to be proactive and take a couple of preventative measures before a problem arises. Follow this advice to eliminate the conditions that appeal to these pests, and you should have no trouble keeping mice and other pests out of your home.