Gerbil

As we roll into the colder months of the year, we’ll begin seeing rodent problems rise. Rats, mice and other furry disease carriers are notorious for squeaking their way into your home to find shelter in the winter.

Thankfully, there are preventative measures you can take to protect your house from these little guys.

There are also effective ways of eliminating their presence altogether as well. Read on to discover the top ways to prevent and eliminate rodents in your home!

Gerbil

The Rodent Issues

Most people are worried about the 30+ diseases that rodents carry. Thankfully, the likelihood that you will contract a disease from a rodent in your home is low.

While contracting a fatal disease is maybe not the main concern, there are plenty of other issues that rodents pose. Because rats have surprisingly small bodies. As such, they can squeeze into the smallest cracks into your home.

Unfortunately, it is all too easy for rodents to enter and begin populating in no time at all. Female rats can have up to 70 babies just one year which means a rodent problem can get out of hand very quickly.

In short, an infestation can happen quickly and is generally unsightly, unsettling and unhealthy. So let’s figure out how to get rid of them!

Preventative Methods

The first thing an exterminator will tell you in regards to prevention is to check the perimeter of your home. If you identify a breach, patch it up quick! Common places for pests of any kind to enter are through poor seals in windows, garages, doors, and cracks in the foundation.

Make a thorough check of these areas and if you see a place where a mouse could squeeze in, seal it up as best you can. Keep in mind that if a mouse can squeeze its tiny skull through space then it’s the whole body can follow.

The second form of prevention is keeping food properly stored and garbage properly contained. Food that has been left out or open garbage receptacles are always a pest attractor. General cleanliness is also very helpful. Keep pests of all kinds, including rodents, away by routinely cleaning your home.

Elimination Methods

Prevention is well and good unless you already have a rat problem. Because rodents are nocturnal it’s difficult to decipher if they’ve made their way into your home.

A couple easy clues are rat dropping and chewed furniture or wires. If you’ve spotted either of these things, it’s time for a plan of attack.

If you’re planning to remove the rodents yourself, you have two options. You can eliminate them humanely or lethally. If you go the lethal route, snap traps, poison and glue paper are available for purchase at your general store.

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While these methods are oftentimes effective, keep in mind that the rat poison can also be hazardous to your family. You’ll also want to keep watch on any traps you place as oftentimes the rodents are not killed immediately.

Alternatively, you can go the non-lethal route. Simply purchase cage traps and set them in places where you have seen traces of the rodents.

Once you’ve captured a furry creature, simply release it outdoors. The danger is, of course, that they simply find their way back indoors.

If the DIY method doesn’t seem appealing there are all natural solutions to rodent infestations through eco-friendly pest exterminators. Some companies will bait and trap, which is fine.

However, if you can find a service that will also work with you to create an exclusion method, that’s even better. Eliminating the immediate rodent problem is good but stepping it up to future prevention is best. Be sure to work with a company who values your family and pet’s safety.

In the end, we all just want to keep our homes rodent free. With so many options for elimination, the choices can become overwhelming.

Simply think about your values and make the selection that works best for you. Either way, there is hope when it comes to complete rodent prevention and elimination.

Good luck!

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Milky Homes

Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom & Garden Decor

Thursday, Feb 22, 2024