Rodents like to run and play outside during the summertime. This is when you’ll see them scurrying around your yard, chewing on your plants, or even scratching at your door. But as winter approaches, they will want to find warmer places inside of homes for shelter from the cold weather. And almost all homeowners can attest to the feeling of unease that comes with finding mice or rodents in your home. Whether they are in your attic, kitchen, basement, or dining room, finding a rodent can incite panic in even the calmest homeowner, so knowing how to prevent rodents is extremely important.
It doesn’t help that rodents are resourceful creatures that can enter your home or a building through the smallest opening or crack and require very little space to travel indoors Luckily our team at Sigma Pest Control has put together a list of tips that you can use this winter to prevent rodents from entering your home!
Our Tips to Prevent Rodents
When rodents enter your home an infestation isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. These pests put homes at risk for electrical fires by chewing on wires, creating nests in the insulation of your home’s heating system, and even introducing harmful parasites like fleas. So taking the time to prevent rodents from making your way into your home in the first place is the best way to prevent the dangers they come with.
Seal up Your Home
Mice are able to squeeze through holes as small as a dime, so in order to prevent rodents from entering your home, it is important for you to take the time to seal up any cracks or holes in the structure of your building. You can also prevent rodent infestations by making sure no organic material, like leaves and grass clippings, gets into your attic insulation and other holes in the interior of your home.
Some places to look for gaps inside and outside of your home include:
- Inside of your kitchen cabinets, refrigerator, and stove
- Inside closets
- Around your fireplace
- In your basement or crawl space
- Around the foundation of the home
- Around holes for electrical plumbing, cable, and gas lines
- Around windows and doors
If you find that you do have holes that could serve as entry points for rodents, you should take the time to seal them up with either caulk or steel wool. Caulk is recommended for sealing larger gaps or holes, while steel wool is best used to prevent rodents from climbing up the side of your home.
Clean up Your Home
Something that will attract rodents to your home is the presence of unsealed food. So it is important for you to prevent rodents from entering your home by taking away their access to food sources both inside and outside of your building. Inside, make sure that all foods are either in airtight containers or behind closed doors where they won’t be accessible to mice or rats looking for a snack. You should also make sure to keep all food scraps out of the kitchen and disposing of garbage regularly. Some other things you can do to prevent rodents from being attracted to your kitchen is by:
- Don't leave pet food out overnight
- Clean up any spilled food right away, and make sure to wash dishes and cooking utensils after use
- Use a thick plastic or metal garbage can with a tight lid
- Keep your food in thick plastic or metal containers that are sealed with airtight lids
Taking the time to do this outside of your home as well as inside is equally important. You can prevent rodents from entering your home by maintaining a clean exterior and removing any food sources they might find outside of your building too.
Use Traps
This method of prevention is not for everyone, and that’s okay! It is first important to know that traps for mice are different than traps for rats, and these pests aren’t actually attracted to cheese! When setting a trap you will want to place a small amount of peanut butter or bacon inside the trap, as these are both very appealing to rodents
Once you’ve set your traps make sure that they aren’t in danger of being triggered by children or pets and check them every day! However, since this is a method that not everyone is able to carry out on their own, if you have a rodent problem and you have taken the steps to prevent any new rodents from entering your home then it’s time to call the professionals.
Trust the Professionals to Prevent Rodents
Once you’ve set your traps make sure that they aren’t in danger of being triggered by children or pets and check them every day! However, since this is a method that not everyone is able to carry out on their own, if you have a rodent problem and you have taken the steps to prevent any new rodents from entering your home then it’s time to call the professionals.
Cleaning up After Rodents
After you have taken the time to set up preventative measures for rodents and ridding your home of an infestation it is important to take the time to clean. This will help prevent any infectious viruses in the rodent’s urine, droppings, or nesting materials from spreading. Make sure that you wear protective clothing and equipment before setting out to clean up after rodents. This includes gloves, goggles, face masks, and long sleeves.
You will want to spray any areas that you may think have been impacted by these rodents with a mixture of bleach and water and let it soak for a few minutes. After this, you will want to wipe the area down with a paper towel and make sure to disinfect any other items that may have been touched by the rodents or covered with urine and other droppings.
Let us Help Prevent Rodents from Entering your Home
Rodents pose a serious health risk to your family. By using preventative measures such as regularly scheduled pest control, you can prevent rodents from entering your home and causing illness in yourself, your children, or anyone else who lives with you. If you are experiencing an infestation of mice or rats call Sigma Pest Control today! Our team will take care of the current problem, prevent any rodents from entering your home in the future, and help you prevent health issues that these pests pose this winter season!