ATH: Enjoy your warm and comfy home alone this winter: Keep out the nasty intruders!
By Jennifer Kneuss
July 31, 2011
253
Summary: We all love to snuggle into our warm homes for the winter. But without taking precautions, we will likely be joined by unwanted rodent and insect intruders. Act now to protect your family in the most eco-friendly ways possible.
Cold winds begin to blow, and we seek out the shelter and warmth of our homes once again. Unfortunately, all types of tiny four, six, and eight legged critters and creepy crawlies have the same thing in mind. Throw in a little food, and your home becomes the perfect place for them to ride out the winter. Rodents, spiders, roach; you name it, they want to join you indoors.
How to get rid of the little buggers as safely as possible? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the seal up, trap up, and clean up three pronged approach for optimal winter pest control.
Seal Up:
A mouse can slip through unbelievably tiny holes, even as small as the diameter of a pencil. Seal up all cracks. Steel wool works great as a temporary fix, as rodents cant chew through it, but for a permanent solution, use mortar, metal sheeting, or hardware cloth.
Pay particular attention to spaces around pipes, ducts, and vents.
Trim back tree branches so none come closer than six feet from your roof. Rodents can jump.
Keep woodpiles away from the house.
Eliminate hiding spots. Weeds, open garbage cans, and junk appliances are open invitations for rodents.
Make sure windows and doors have weather stripping for a snug fit.
To discourage tinier pests, some experts suggest washing windows on both the outside and inside with an ammonia and water mixture. When dry, dip newspaper into kerosene and rub down the entire window and frame. When it evaporates, it leaves a thin film.
Insects are averse to the smells of peppermint or spearmint oil. Put water and several drops of oil in a spray bottle, and spray both inside and outside of your house, particularly in corners, around windows and doors, and in dark hiding places. Cotton balls soaked in these oils can be strategically placed, too. Humans like the scent. Spiders in particular do not. Spray often for best effect.
Garlic cloves have a similar affect. Crush a few in a spray bottle of water, and spray freely.
Trap Up:
Although not practical for many, a good mouser cat can catch up to 1,500 mice in a year. If you have outbuildings, attract barn owls, as they love to feed on rodents as well.
Boric acid powder is safe and works great in that it is poisonous to roaches when ingested, and it also breaks down the external skeleton on many insects, killing them. Diatomaceous earth (garden stores) and silica aero gel (craft stores) also break down their skeletons. Use a plastic squeeze bottle to apply a light trail around baseboards. Effective in 7-10 days.
Live traps work for those who are determined not to kill rodents. When relocating them, release far away, or they WILL return to your home.
Spring traps kill quickly, and are especially effective when baited with peanut butter rolled in oats. Another good trick for elusive prey is to glue sunflower seeds to the trap permanently, so the bait cannot be stolen. Rodents are also said to love walnuts, ketchup and all types of grains.
When setting traps, set twice as many as the number of mice you think you have. Set them everywhere, and check daily for several days. Wait a few days, and repeat the process until all signs of rodents are gone.
Clean Up:
Put away all food, including pet food and water, at night. Eliminate the buffet!
Dont leave dirty dishes out at night.
Always wear gloves and use a strong bleach and water solution to clean up traps and areas where there are mouse droppings. Throw away sponges and cloths used.
Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mouse droppings!
Eliminate nesting sites indoors.
Clean dust and debris from behind major appliances and furniture regularly.
