Having uninvited house guests like mice and rats is in no way a fun experience to live through. It’s one of those things that’s better off if prevented rather than dealt with while it’s already happening. Once they’re inside, they’re pretty hard to get rid of.
So, what are the ways to prevent them from entering your home? It’s actually not that hard and it requires little to no effort!
In this article, we will provide you with the top 7 prevention tips to keep your home safe from these annoying pests!
So without further ado, let’s get to the bottom of it!
1. Keep your house clean
If your food accidentally got onto your floor, make sure you clean it up as quickly as possible. The longer you leave it unattended, the higher is the risk for rodent infestation. Don’t give them any reason to come inside!
Make sure to vacuum your dining room as frequently as possible, and clean your kitchen every time you make a meal. If you have a pantry, make sure everything is sealed and protected properly. If you have pets, make sure their bowls are thoroughly cleaned after they’ve eaten.
All in all, the cleaner your home is, the less likely are the rodents to be attracted to it.
2. Seal any possible entry points
If you want to prevent a rodent infestation, you have to think like a rodent. Also you can prevent a rodent infestation with bonaccordpestcontrol.co.uk. Where would they most likely come in? Get some nets for your windows and doors if you can, and block any holes and entry spaces they might use for entering and exiting.
Of course, keep your doors and windows closed during the night since that’s when rodents are most active. If you see them during the day, it should be a major red flag since it usually means they’ve already infested your home.
Whatever you do, make sure the rodents are not physically able to enter your home. It’s the safest prevention measure you can take!
3. Keep your closed spaces dry
Space filled with moisture is a perfect breeding site for rodents, so make sure to keep your basements and attics completely dry. Make sure you don’t have any clogged or leaking pipes inside of your home. Rodents love moist, dark places, and that’s where they’d spend most of their time when not looking for food. So make sure to eliminate any such spaces inside your home to prevent them from moving in.
All in all, having rodent roommates is not fun, and as long as your home is not attractive enough, they’ll probably just avoid you. So don’t accidentally invite them inside and keep your spaces completely as dry as possible.
4. Use natural rodent repellents
Rodents hate the smell of some common ingredients you probably already have inside your kitchen. For example, rodents hate the smell of pepper and garlic. Since these pests are always active during the summer, make sure to make your home as unwelcoming as possible in this period. Of course, you don’t need to put large amounts of repellent solutions since these animals have a very strong sense of smell and you don’t want your home smelling unpleasant just to prevent them from entering.
Whatever you do, make sure to use a natural solution for repelling rodents! Natural repellents can be incredibly effective! Also, they’re not toxic or harmful so you won’t have to worry about your children or pets getting poisoned or suffering some negative effects from these.
5. What to do if your home is already infested
Once they’re in, it’s crucial to let the professionals handle the job. You won’t be able to get rid of them effectively, and you’re just going to waste a lot of time and energy for nothing. These pests are incredibly hard to get rid of by yourself, and you’ll want it to be done as quickly as possible since the problem will just keep on growing if not resolved promptly.
Other than that, leaving the issue unattended for too long will increase the risk of many diseases transmitted by rodents. So, you have to make sure to get rid of them extremely quickly, and the professional pest control service is the best way to go about it. Just make sure to choose a reliable service like the Vancouver based alpinepest.ca that will completely eradicate any signs of previous rodent infestation. This includes not only removing the pests but also doing a proper clean up.
6. Get a cat
If you’re thinking about getting a pet and you’ve had issues with rodents before, getting a cat can be the best choice you’ve ever made. Their smell acts as a natural rodent repellent, and cats are skillful hunters and territorial animals who won’t let any intruders inside of your home. Besides that, these animals are incredibly loving and make amazing pets! They’re extremely low maintenance unlike dogs, and they’ll keep your home free from not only rodents but other pests as well!
If you already have a cat, make sure to leave their litter box outside the door. The smell will certainly do wonders against mice and rats.
7. Traps
Set some mouse traps around your house to prevent them from creating a home inside of your living room. If you’re not comfortable with killing the pests, you can still get some humane traps that only confine them for a while. If you do choose to use these, make sure to let out the rodent once you’re at least one mile away from your home.
Traps should only be used when there are just a few rodents around, and the issue is still not huge. Once you start seeing or hearing too many of them, it’s time to call the pest control.
The takeaway
Mice and rats can be extremely annoying and possibly even dangerous to have around. They carry a lot of diseases harmful to humans and are not a pleasant sight to be seen. There is a number of ways to keep them outside of your home, but if they do manage to come in after you’ve sealed all of your food, kept the house clean, and sealed all possible entry points, it’s time to call the professionals. Pest control services are the only way to safely get rid of rodents once they’ve settled inside your home.
All in all, be well prepared and make sure your home is unattractive to both mice and rats.