How to Protect Your Home and Prevent Rodent Infestations

Rodents are a huge problem in many areas of the world. These pesky creatures can cause significant damage to your home and property. They have been known to chew on wires, which can lead to fires or power outages, as well as transmit diseases like Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. In this blog post, we will discuss how you can protect your home from rodents by following some simple steps and exclusion methods that you might be able to do yourself!

Do you have rodents in your home?

There are few easy ways to identify if you have a rodent infestation in your home. Those include:

• Droppings: Rat droppings are usually one of the first things you will notice if there is a rodent problem in your home (rats leave 50 to 100 pellets per day on average). Other types of rodents like mice, squirrels, and raccoons also produce similar-looking droppings.
• Gnaw marks on furniture: If the rodent has been there long enough, you may find small teeth marks on your furniture or other objects. 
• Scratching sounds: In some cases, rodents can be active during the day and night so listen carefully to any strange noises coming from inside walls, ceilings, attics, etc.
• Urine trails: This is a telltale sign that rodents have been in your home. If you see a thin, dark line on the floor (or walls), it's likely that rodent urine has seeped into the surface and dried up there.
• Odor: Rodents like rats or mice leave behind pungent odors which can be detected if they get inside furniture or other objects in your home.

How do rodents get into your home?

Rodents can get into your home through the smallest of holes. They are very agile creatures and can climb brick walls, fences, trees, and more. Smaller rodents, like mice and rats, can fit through holes smaller than the size of a dime to get into your home. They search for opening around the foundation and on the roofs of your home, which is why they can often be found in crawl spaces and attics. 

DIY rodent prevention methods

Some things you can do to make your home less appealing to rodents are:

• Remove standing water from inside and outside of your home.
• Trim back trees and shrubs so they don’t touch the exterior of your home.
• Clean up crumbs from around your home.
• Store food in sealed containers.
• Pick up pet food and water when they are not eating it.

How do you control rodents in your house?

To get rid of rodents in your home the exterminators at Miller Pest & Termite recommend the following:

• Do a full inspection of your home. This means looking through all areas, including the crawl space and attic, to see if you can spot any holes or gaps where rodents could potentially get in.
• Plug up these openings with metal mesh and caulk so that no rodent has an opening to come into your house.
• Set bait traps around your home. Focusing on areas where you've seen any signs of rodent activity.
• You can also consider using a rodent repellent to help keep rodents out of your house.
• Call a professional rodent control company like Miller. These vermin can oftentimes be dangerous to handle on your own, so it is best left to the professionals.