Rodents are a particularly persistent kind of pest that can steal your food, damage your home, and pose health risks to everyone who lives there. An infestation is best dealt with at its source, but in the meantime, here are three ways you can limit how pests can get inside and how you can remove them.
Seal Ducts, Pipes, and Vents
Rodents can fit in very small spaces, which means cutting off access to your house is going to take some work.
Start by making sure your air ducts are tightly sealed. Because ducts often run through attics or under floors and open into almost every room, rodents will use ducts to make a home and travel through the house in search of food.
Next, block off openings such as vets and drain pipes by using a metal screen. These screens won't obstruct draining water or gases, but will keep critters out. Don't forget pipes like drain vents that can be found on your roof.
Finally, double check the sealant and weatherstripping around your doors and windows. Weatherstripping in particular can fade or break quickly with constant exposure to sunlight and inclement weather, so inspect it all thoroughly.
Have Your Trees and Bushes Trimmed
If any trees on your property are growing closely to your home, they may be providing rodents with a bridge to gain access to your home. Any branches that are touching your house can be used by pests to get onto your roof or through your attic's ventilation. Bushes growing around your house also provide cool and dark places that are perfect for rodents to find shelter.
To keep pests out and away, make sure that all your trees and bushes are professionally trimmed. This can dissuade rodents from using them as shelters, and can make it harder for them to move from your plants to your house. If you don't have outdoor pets, these may also be good places to set traps if rodents are frequenting these areas.
Set Traps and Baits
While the infestation will need to be taken care of at the source, you can help reduce the number of rodents in your house and protect valuables like food by setting traps and baits in the right areas.
The best place to set traps are near the source of the infestation. For example, if you know rats are in your attic, that's a good place to start. But you can also set traps in areas rodents might use to get around your house, and in areas in which they might hide. Dark corners and under appliances like ovens are attractive hiding spots for rodents trying to keep out of sight.
There are several different kind of traps and baits you can use, which can depend on the severity of your infestation, what type of rodents you're dealing with, and if you have any pets that may be put at risk with their placement. If you're having trouble, ask pest control services to help you set the right traps.
Pest control is a complex topic. To really master the subject, you need to know about many different pests, how they all react to different control measures, and how to prevent pest infestations in the first place. It's really helpful to break this topic down into smaller chunks. That's what we aim to do on this website. We offer a wide range of articles on particular pest control subjects. No one article will teach you everything you need to know, but they all include bits and pieces of knowledge which, when added together, will teach you quite a lot. Start reading to learn more about pest control and pests.