Successful Rodent Control

The keys to a successful program of rodent control are identification sanitation, elimination of harborage, and rodent-proofing.

• In the fall and winter, mice may enter houses, garages, and outbuilding. Once inside, they can cause significant damage to furnishings and stored materials as they search for food and construct their nests.
• The deer mouse is the principle rodent species associated with the transmission of the hantavirus.
• Micro droplets of mouse urine can cause allergies in children. Mice can also bring fleas, termites, ticks and lice into your home.
• House mice can easily squeeze through holes and gaps wider than 1/4-inch. Rats can enter buildings through 1/2-inch gaps.
• Rats are associated with various diseases and occasionally bite. Leptospirosis is a disease acquired by eating food or drinking water which may be contaminated with infected rat urine.

Prevent Rodents

Where to look for gaps or holes inside your home

• Inside, under, and behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, and stoves.
• Inside closets near the floor corners.
• Around the fireplace.
• Around doors.
• Around the pipes under sinks and washing machines.
• Around the pipes going to hot water heaters and furnaces.
• Around floor vents and dryer vents.
• Inside the attic.
• In the basement or crawl space.
• In the basement and laundry room floor drains.
• Between the floor and wall juncture.

Where to look for gaps or holes outside your home

• In the roof among the rafters, gables, and eaves.
• Around windows.
• Around doors.
• Around the foundation.
• Attic vents and crawl space vents.
• Under doors.
• Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable, and gas lines.

What to Do

Fill small holes with steel or copper wool. Put caulk around the steel or copper wool to keep it in place. Use lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix large holes. These materials can be found at your local hardware store.

Fix gaps in trailer skirting's and use flashing around the base of the house. If you do not remember to seal up entry holes in your home, rodents will continue to get inside. Outbuildings and garages should also be sealed to prevent the entrance of rodents.

Keep doors closed at all times when not in actual use. Avoid storing fire wood and outside equipment next to building walls. Regrade the ground around the foundation to allow for at least 24 inches of foundation to show. Remove unused pet food and spilled bird seed.