The most common ways to spot rodents in your home are by looking for droppings around food packages, underneath your sink, in cupboards, and drawers. You can also inspect the nesting sites of rodents and take steps to remove their food and water sources. Make sure that you put your kitchen garbage in sealed containers and turn over compost piles regularly to cover freshly added food scraps.
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Creating a barrier
The first step in rodent removal is to create a barrier around the area where the animals are entering and exiting. This barrier should be solid to prevent the rodents from escaping and running around and will also help you avoid the spread of pathogens. One of the biggest mistakes people make when removing mice is not creating a barrier. This is where rodent shields come in handy.
Setting traps
In order to get rid of rodents, you must know how to properly set a trap to catch them. Setting the traps incorrectly can result in unintentionally catching non-target wildlife such as birds and larger mammals. It is also important to leave the traps unset during the day to reduce the chance of trapping wildlife that is active during the day. Alternatively, you can set the traps under a milk crate to keep out larger wildlife.
Using DIY products
Do-it-yourself rodent control solutions can be very expensive, and many products will need to be reapplied. Even if the products do kill rodents, they can spread diseases. DIY products can also be hard to apply, and you will need to reapply the solution every so often. A professional rodent exterminator will do the job much faster and more effectively than you can.
Baiting
While it’s tempting to just throw some bait down the chimney to get rid of mice and rats, you should always remember that there are ways to catch them without the help of a professional. One way to do this is to use bait that contains a strong, unpleasant scent. The smell of mint deters mice and rats, so you may want to use peppermint oil or dried mint leaves.
Properly identifying your rodent population
A common place for rodents to congregate is vegetation. Therefore, if you notice any type of yard waste, remove it from your property. Leave at least two feet of space between your property and vegetation. Rodents also like to hide in woodpiles, lumber, and other items you don’t use regularly, such as trashcans. You can also clean up debris around the home to prevent rodents from using these places as shelters.
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