In this section
Mice 
Rats 

Rodents must have adequate food and shelter in order to live and thrive. Removal of these 2 factors is the best way to prevent and control rodent problems. It is important to include both the outside and inside of your home in your sanitation efforts.

Indoor Sanitation

Food

  • Clean areas under stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers.
  • Keep counter tops clear of food.
  • Do not leave glasses of water out overnight.
  • Store dry food, pet food and birdseed in sealed containers.
  • Clean pet bowls at night.


Shelter

  • Keep storage areas free of clutter
  • Rodent-Proof hard-to-access areas that tend to be neglected
  • Store supplies or materials off the floor

Outdoor Sanitation

Don’t forget about maintaining the outdoors as well. Properly maintain your yard and store firewood away from your home for effective rodent control.

  • Properly maintain landscaping – trim any overgrown   vegetation and shrubbery until ground underneath is visible.
  • Remove any debris – rock piles, old equipment and such.
  • Elevate lumber and firewood at least 18 inches.

Store firewood away from the house.

Rodent Proofing

Exclusion

Rodent-Proofing your home whenever possible is a critical step in controlling rodents. Ideally, you can control rodents by making it impossible for them to gain entry to your home. However, it may be difficult to exclude mice completely since they can pass through ¼ inch openings, approximately the size of a dime. Rats can squeeze through ½ inch openings or the size of a nickel. Any of these possible rodent access points must be inspected.

Rodent Access Points

  • Repair all holes and cracks in foundation, walls & basements.
  • Chimneys should be capped & sealed and flashed
  • All exterior lines leading through walls must be tight.
  • Cover vents with metal grill-work and rust-resistant screening.

RODENT PROOFING

Rodent populations will continue to increase in conditions that allow easy access to food and shelter. Sanitation efforts in conjunction with rodent proofing provide the best solution to reduce or completely eliminate these conditions.

Their are simple steps you can take to stop rodents in making your home theirs...

Sanitation efforts involve maintaining clean areas where food is stored and keeping containers tightly sealed. Inside your home, these are an excellent start to your rodent control efforts.

Clearing away unwanted debris and vegetation.  Stored firewood, climbing vines are hiding areas for rodents.