Rodents are looking for shelter during the winter. Don’t let your home be theirs.
The cold season isn’t quite over yet, which means there’s still a big chance that rodents like mice and rats will try to find shelter from the falling temperatures. And, of course, your home is like a perfect smorgasbord of food, water, and shelter.
Since rodents can contaminate food and often carry disease, it’s important you keep these critters from gaining entry. To help you out, we’re going to show you some quick tips on how to prevent a rodent infestation from happening in your home this winter.
Store Food in Sealed Containers
Rodents have a great sense of smell and will eat and contaminate your food whenever they get a chance. A great way you can prevent an infestation and contamination is to seal all of your food in plastic containers that will block the odor. This includes your pet food because, even though you might not find it appealing, rodents like rats and mice won’t differentiate between human food and Fido food.
How to Prevent Rodent Infestation – Keep Your Kitchen Clean
If you want to learn how to prevent a rodent infestation, then learning how to keep your kitchen clean must be at the top of your to-do list. In addition to storing food in plastic containers, as mentioned above, you need to avoid leaving crumbs lying around. Even these tiny morsels act as a magnet for rodents. In addition to your kitchen, make sure that you keep other areas, such as your living room and bedrooms, clear of leftovers and crumbs.
Seal Any Points of Entry
Rodents will gain entry to your home through small cracks and gaps, especially mice because of their size. When the gaps aren’t big enough, they may also chew their way through. The best way to rodent-proof your home is to look for any problem areas, such as around your doors and windows, and seal them up. Also, keep in mind that rodents are often excellent climbers, so you should also look for potential entry points on your roof or the exterior of your attic.
Remove Clutter
Rodents are notorious for finding hiding spots in all sorts of places. If you have clutter sitting around your home—and let’s be honest, many of us do—this can literally become a breeding ground for rodents. Keeping your home free of clutter will give them fewer places to hide, which makes them easier to find and exterminate.
How to Prevent Rodent Infestation – Secure Your Garage
Whenever we talk about how to prevent a rodent infestation, homeowners often have an “Aha!” moment when they realize that their garage is the reason why rats and mice have such easy access to their home. Rodents will seek shelter inside your garage and even under the hood of your vehicle when it’s cold outside. In addition to checking for gaps around the garage door and the garage itself, it doesn’t hurt to set up several traps.
How to Prevent Rodent Infestation – Clean up your yard
There’s a good chance that your landscape is filled with temptation for rodents. When you don’t properly care for the area outside your home, rodents can find sources of food, water, and shelter very easily. It’s even worse if you have any plants or trees that bear vegetables or fruit, so make sure you harvest these items and pick up any fallen ones.
Call ProHealth Pest Control for help with Your Rodent Problem
ProHealth Pest Control can teach you how to prevent a rodent infestation, or we can come to your home and eliminate one that’s already begun. For any questions about the methods we use to eliminate critters of all shapes and sizes, call (727) 308-2543 today.