ATH: Rodent proof the home

  • Kyle Valentini
  • October 17, 2013
  • 440
                        
Summary: Rodents like mice and rats can make their way into your home as temperatures drop. Keeping them from getting in is the best way to avoid infestation. If they do get in, there a several ways to remove them. Cooler temperatures are finally on the way and that means outdoor rodents and vermin will be looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Unfortunately your home is rather inviting and the furry beasts will stop at nothing to get in and make your home their own especially if there is a source of food and water. Keeping outdoor areas neat and free of clutter can eliminate places where mice and rats might hide. Woodpiles, while more convenient when kept close to the house can be a favorite hiding place for undesirable rodents that seek the warmth of a heated house. Keep the garage door closed so as not to tempt the critters indoors where even without access to the home might still nest and cause damage to stored items. Mice and rats will eat almost anything and even prefer pet and livestock food. Storing these items in metal containers with tight fitting lids can guarantee the rodents will not be able to access the food. Plastic containers, even where the lids fit snuggly are no match to the clever and hungry beast willing to work incessantly to find his next meal. Mice and rats can access your home from tree branches. Trim back tree branches so that none come within 6 feet of the roof. Mice and rats can and will jump but it is unlikely they can successfully jump this distance. Seal up your home. Mice can squeeze through holes and cracks that are as small as one quarter inch. The more permanent the seal the better but temporary fixes like steel wool or foam will work in a pinch. Use peppermint oil to keep mice and rats at a distance. They hate the smell of it and its strong odor prevents animals from smelling desirable food in your home. Most health food stores and some pharmacies carry the essential oil that is pricey but effective. In the event rodents do get into your house getting them out as quickly as possible is important. Mice and rats reproduce quickly and abundantly. Female house mice have as many as eight litters a year with up to six pups per litter. That’s a lot of mice. Some varieties of rat can have as many as six litters a year with up to 12 offspring. Mice and rats tend to travel the perimeter of a room when they have made their way inside. Storing items up off the floor and way from walls will give them fewer places to hide and allow them to be seen when they do venture out. There are options as to how to rid your home of unwanted rodents. -Traps are the most effective manner for mice and rat eradication. Traps allow you to see the animal has indeed been caught. There are a few different kinds of traps and some are more humane than others. There are humane traps available that allow you to catch the uninvited mouse or rat in a box. The mouse can get in the box but not out. Once trapped, you can release the animal at least a mile from your home in a wooded area where they can find food and shelter. Snap traps can be effective as a bar snaps down on the rodent and can result in instant death. This is not always neat and tidy and sometimes the results can look much like a crime scene when there is blood involved. Sticky traps are the least desirable method for rodent removal. The animal wanders onto a sticky pad and is unable to get off. You then have to end the animal’s life and dispose of it. -Poison can be used to get rid of rodents that have found their way indoors but this method can backfire. If the animal ingests the poison and crawls into an inaccessible area it can perish without you knowing exactly where it is. As it decomposes the stench can be horrifying. Poison can also inadvertently be consumed by children or pets with devastating results. -A third option for rodent removal is the recruitment of the family cat. Cats make great mousers and tend to enjoy the hunt and the subsequent play that ensues after the creature has been caught.


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