Five Tips to Keep Rats and Mice Out of Your Braselton Area Home
Rats & Mice
No one wants to hear squeaks and scratches within their walls unless, of course, you have Casper, the friendly ghost living with you. And no one certainly wants to see a rodent scurry across the floor, dashing from one end of the kitchen to the other. Because rats and mice are nocturnal, they are often difficult to spot. But if you are noticing droppings, chew marks, nests, or hearing scratching noises, chances are, you have a mouse problem, or worse, a problem with rats.
Before that happens, learn the best ways to prevent these sneaky creatures from invading your Braselton area home. Follow along for a few tips on how to keep mice and rats out of your home.
Seal Any Gaps or Holes Both Inside and Outside of Your Braselton Area Home
We often have holes and gaps around the inside, and outside of our homes we don’t even know are there. And if light can shine through, mice or rats can get through it. These furry critters are capable of squeezing through spaces as small as change coins. Take a walk around the outside of your home, and inspect areas around your doors, windows, utility holes, upon your roof, and your foundation. Fix any small homes with steel wool. Put caulk on the steel wool to keep it in place. Utilizing your local hardware store, use a lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix large holes.
Then inspect the inside of your house. Look around doors, windows, floor vents, inside, under, and behind all kitchen cabinets, the refrigerator, and stove. Make sure you check the basement and attic as these are especially prone to the invasion of rodents, and they are usually the least used areas in the household. And don’t forget to check your closets.
Don’t Let Your Garbage Become a Rodent’s Feast
Food inside a garbage can will quickly become a smorgasbord for rats, mice, raccoons, and other wildlife if left open and unsecured. Ensure all garbage cans have a lid and are tightly secured. Keep trash cans as far away from your property as possible to help keep the rodents out.
Don’t Create a Bridge To The Inside of Your Home
When trees and shrubbery sit up against your property, they tend to create a bridge to your home. You may unknowingly be giving rats, mice, and other pests away into your house. Keep any branches, and twigs trimmed, and prune any leaves that touch your foundation.
Be Cognizant of Bird and Other Wildlife Feeders
Birdseed and other wildlife containers make an attractive meal to rats and mice as well as other wildlife. Take into consideration the placement of your feeders and how close they are to your home. You may be unwillingly attracting these creatures to your backyard and inside your home, where they find shelter, warmth, and more food.
Keep All Food Properly Stored and Sealed
If rats and mice enter your Braselton area home, it’s typically because they are in search of food. The harder it is to find, the more likely they will move on to the next residence. We all know what it’s like having kids or pets, and it can be difficult to keep kitchen areas clean, but the faster you clean up any messes or spills, the less chance the smell will attract rodents. Don’t leave dishes to sit out overnight, and try to keep crumbs that spill behind and under appliances cleaned up as much as possible.
When it comes to storing food, never store rice, cereal, or pet food on the ground and keep food in sealed containers. Common snacks that mice and rats enjoy include:
Common Snacks Mice and Rats Enjoy Include:
- Grains, seeds, and nuts
- Bread and crackers
- Cheese
- Peanut butter
- Fruit and vegetables
- Pet food
Place Mice and Rat Traps Around Your Braselton Area Home
Set up traps around the more vulnerable areas of your home, such as along walls and behind trash cans. There are a variety of traps to choose from. If you’re looking for humane options, there are traps you can purchase at home good stores that use baits such as peanut butter and sticky adhesives, both of which allow you to set the rodents free. If you want to eradicate the mice, there are traps with snapping devices and traps made for electrocuting.
Make Your Home or Business Less Attractive With Essential Oils
Like all pests, there are specific scents that rats and mice hate. Peppermint oil is said to cover up the pheromone trails that mice leave for communication making it difficult for them to find food. This is because it irritates their nasal cavities. To use, soak the essential oil in cotton balls and stick them behind appliances, around windows and doors, and any open cracks.
Protect Your Home With Residential Pest Control From the Professionals at Progressive Pest Control
While these tips will help, here in the south, our warmer temperatures, pests are a problem year-round. The best way to protect your family and loved ones is through a residential pest control program. At Progressive Pest Control, we know pests and offer full-service, year-round, seasonal, or one-time treatments customized to fit your personal needs. For the ultimate control of rats, mice, and non-flying insects, we apply one single treatment to the interior of your Braselton area home. Learn more about our highly effective residential pest control program by visiting our website now. You can contact us online or if you would rather reach out via phone, call us at 706-654-2730.
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