Born to survive, rats and mice are consummate opportunists who will take advantage of anything that benefits them. When the weather starts to turn cold and wet, a nice, warm home, with plenty of food and water, will suit their needs just fine. If you don’t take the appropriate precautions you may just discover that your new “tenants” are moving in, not just for the winter, but for an extended stay. However you don’t need to panic. Below are some things you can do to protect your home and send the rodents packing before they invade it:
1. Eliminate outdoor harborage such as construction debris, old containers, piles of wood or anything else that may offer shelter. Be sure to trim ground cover plants, like Ivy, at least one food from your foundation and walls.
2. Be sure that all trees and shrubs are pruned back so that they are at least 6 feet from your eaves to keep Roof Rats from jumping on to your roof and gaining access from above.
3. Seal or screen all gaps, holes, vents (like those in crawl spaces, garages and attics) or other openings into the structure. Be sure that all doors and windows close tightly and are properly screened. Be sure to take note of how well your garage, roll-up doors close. Make proper adjustment, improvements or repairs to make sure they are tight. Adult rats only require a 1/2 inch opening to gain access. Mice only require 1/4 of an inch.
4. Clean up and properly dispose of fallen fruits and vegetables or any other potential food sources. Never leave pet food outdoors.
If your home has a current infestation It is a prudent course to have your pest professional do a thorough inspection to identify the rodent involved, it’s access points and the areas of activity so that an appropriate plan can be developed for effective control.
A rodent control plan will involve the above procedures and, most likely a trapping program. Rodent baits may also be used, but caution is advised. Be sure that the bait is out of the reach of children and pets. One good method is to use a tamper resistant rodent bait station. One that uses bait blocks which can be fixed on spindles inside the device. Make sure that the device is securely anchored in place and again, just to be on the safe side, placed out of the reach of children and pets. Your pest professional can give you the best advice as to how and where to place any of the devices used to control these common rodents. Bear in mind that changes in the law will mandate, beginning in 2013 that all rodent bait sold to the general public must be sold in pre-loaded bait stations. Separate stations and baits will no longer be available to the consumer.
