From The Great Mouse Detective to Ratatouille and Mickey Mouse, animations portray rodents as cute and cuddly little critters. But real-life rodents are nothing short of a disaster! These scavenging creatures are associated with dirt and filth, mainly because they like to wander in feces-filled sewers and forage for food in garbage areas or dumpsters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rats and mice have managed to associate themselves with many diseases, including hantavirus, rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis. They spread these diseases to humans through direct contact with an infected rodent, rodent bites, feces, urine, and saliva.
Hence, no matter how likable they are on screen, you don’t want these contaminating crawlers in or around your home. Here’s how to get rid of rats and mice guaranteed.
Why Do Rats and Mice Get into Your Home?
The most effective way to get rid of rats and mice in your home or office is by knowing why they are there in the first place.
Like many other animals, rodents enter homes in search of three things – food, water, and a safe shelter to raise their young ones. Unfortunately, your home provides all the essential things rodents need to survive and thrive.
Here are the factors that make your home a prime location for rats and mice:
- Food
Rats and mice aren’t picky eaters. In the wild, they mainly feed on insects, nuts, grains, and seeds. But once they infest your home, these omnivores will eat anything they can get their paws on, including vegetables, meat, pet food, rice, soap, and leather. You’ll often find them scavenging through garbage bins and eating leftovers.
- Water
Rats and mice are busy little creatures who need water to survive. While mice get all the water they need from the foods they eat; rats need to drink water directly from a water source. If there’s a leaky pipe, faulty faucet, or a birdbath in or near your home, rats will stick around to avoid dehydration.
- Shelter
Like humans, rats and mice are warm-blooded animals. This means they are susceptible to cold temperatures and can die if exposed to the extremely cold winter conditions. To combat this, rodents seek refuge in our homes. They can make nests under furniture, in appliances, behind the refrigerator, or the undisturbed corners of your house.
How to Get Rid of Rodents and Mice Guaranteed
Rats and mice are a health hazard for you, your employees, and your loved ones. That’s why professional pest controllers recommend proactive rodent control measures such as rodent-proofing your home to prevent infestations.
But if these unwanted guests have already made their way into your home, here’s how to get rid of rats and mice effectively.
Inspect Your Home
To get rid of rats and mice successfully, you must thoroughly inspect your property to discover where they’re coming from. Interestingly, these rodents have somewhat collapsible ribcages. This allows them to flatten themselves temporarily to squeeze through unimaginably narrow cracks and crevices in the wall or foundation.
Rats and mice can also access your home via damaged drains, gaps around vents, cracks in the door, appliance lines, and drainages. Once you’ve figured out where the rodents are coming from, the next step is to seal the entry points and set traps.
Seal Entry Points
An adult rat can squeeze through a hole as small as a quarter. On the other hand, mice can fit through cracks or gaps the size of a dime. To stop rats and mice from sneaking into your home, you should seal all possible entry points using caulk or steel wool. Be sure to check these areas at least once per month to ensure the seal is still intact.
Set Rodent Traps
Rodent traps are one of the most effective ways to get rid of rats and mice. Trapping helps eliminate rodents quickly and without the need for poisons. Set many rat or mouse traps at intervals of 2-10 feet apart to increase your chances of catching the pests. You want to set the traps in rodent activity areas such as along walls, attics, and crawlspaces.
Eliminate Clutter
Rats and mice are attracted to clutter as it provides a cozy shelter and a safe hiding spot from natural predators like Oscar, your neighbor’s cat. That’s why cleaning up and eliminating clutter in and around your home is an effective and humane way of getting rid of rats and mice.
Call A Pest Control Expert
Unfortunately, DIY rodent control is easier said than done. Rats and mice are highly intelligent pests, which makes it frustratingly difficult to control them! If the above DIY rat and mice control methods aren’t working, it’s time to engage the pros.
At Adibug, keeping your home safe and giving you peace of mind is what we do best. When you have pest problems, don’t just call any pro, call the Adibug Pro. Adibug is able to protect not only your home from bugs and pests, but also protect your business from unwanted visitors. We’re the best in pests. For a free pest control estimate, call us today at 9293705872 www.adibug.com
