Rodents such as mice and rats should be controlled by not allowing them access into a home. Even a few rodents can quickly reproduce to create a severe rodent problem. Rodents get into food and spread disease through their droppings. Once a house has a rodent problem, it’s usually best to call an experienced pest control company although the cost may be high. To avoid a rodent problem, the best way to ensure rodent control is to keep them from getting into the home.
It’s difficult to prevent rodents from getting into most homes since mice can squeeze through tiny cracks in the home's foundation or roof. All exterior surfaces should be regularly inspected and all gaps caulked well to prevent the entry of even the smallest rodents. Having a pet cat can be a source of strong early rodent control in the home.
Keeping the property and garage neat and unattractive to rodents is an important way to exert rodent control. Rodents like to nest in piles of debris, stacks of newspapers and cardboard boxes. Bushes should be trimmed to leave space underneath to avoid creating a perfect rodent hiding place. Ground cover plants are other areas that appeal to rodents. Rodent nests may also be found in firewood storage boxes, so these should be covered and not contain gaps or cracks.
Other areas to give attention to in the yard in order to maintain rodent control are garbage cans and compost bins. Compost bins with their rotting vegetable matter are often appealing to rodents, so each bin should be emptied often. Metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids tend to work best to control rodents since the animals are unable to gnaw through them or squeeze through lid gaps. In the home, foods such as cereal, crackers and baked goods should be stored in gap-proof storage containers.
Since one mouse can produce up to 72 offspring each year and only needs to be a few months old to mate, mice multiply at a quick rate. By the time the homeowner notices a mouse, the chances are great that a population of mice is already living in the house. A house cat may be able to provide rodent control very early on.
Care should be taken when attempting to control rodents with poisons and traps. Pets as well as children may be the unintended target and cause an accidental tragedy. There are bait box type products in which the rodent enters and cannot exit as it dies in the device. The homeowner simply discards the entire box containing the dead rodent. A rodent exterminator should be considered to control rodents in the home before a rodent problem becomes worse.