Watch Out For Rodents

It's getting cold, and rodents want to come indoors as much as you do. However, if they get in to your home, mice, rats and squirrels can cause hazards to both your health and your property.

With ravenous appetites they will raid your cupboards, soil your floors and countertops, gnaw through walls and chew electrical wiring, even starting fires. These rodents are not only destructive, they are also carriers of salmonella and often have parasites like fleas, mites, lice and ticks embedded in their fur.

Rats and mice are a considerable health and property nuisance, and with the weather getting cold, it is important that you, the homeowner, are actively inspecting undisturbed areas of your property – such as lofts and garages – for rodent droppings.

Keeping Them Out

It is a common consensus that the best pest control strategy is to keep them out to begin with, but that's no easy task. A mouse can get into an opening of a quarter of an inch, and a rat can get through an opening of a half an inch. Since they have no bones, they can squeeze through almost anything.

To find the holes, simply go downstairs and see where the light's coming in. Steel wool is ideal for plugging up holes as mice won't even attempt to chew through it. Once it's in place, the opening can be fully sealed using expanding foam.

In addition to sealing holes, there are other things that you can do, including putting door sweeps on all exterior doors, putting weather stripping on the bottom of your garage door, and sealing openings around pipes and spigots.

When They Come In

To catch the few rodents that do get in, there are a variety of pest control options available including the humble snap trap. Poison pellets, glue traps and glue boards are also effective, but can prolong the suffering of a caught pest.

If you prefer to keep your pest alive, then sonic repellers may be an option. These emit a high-frequency noise that is inaudible to humans and larger animals, but can send rodents scurrying. However, the success of these devices can be hugely variable – some people have terrific success, and some feel that they don't work at all.

Of course, some people prefer traps that capture animals alive, but these these types of device should be monitored frequently, and their prisoners released as far away as possible to reduce their likelihood of returning.

Professional Pest Control

If you are like many, and would prefer to solve the problem once and for all, a reliable local pest control company is your answer. Professionals in this field typically inspect your property and take a multi-faceted approach to solving the problem. This solution provides complete peace of mind, and is ideal if you don't have the time or inclination to tackle the problem yourself.

Article provided by Dynamic Pest Control