When mice enter your home, you will do anything to evict these unwelcome house guests. Setting out dozens of mouse traps can be an effective way to catch a few of the invaders, but unfortunately mouse traps won’t fix your rodent problem. The best way to eliminate a mouse infestation in your home or business is through rodent exclusion. Rodent exclusion is the method used to reduce the conditions that may be attracting rodents to your property, therefore preventing future infestations from occurring.
The first step in rodent exclusion is to eliminate possible entry points for rodents. Rats are capable of entering your property through a hole the diameter of a quarter while mice are capable of wiggling through holes the diameter of a dime. It is necessary to carefully examine the exterior of your property (including attics and basements) to eliminate possible entry points. Check areas around where utility pipes come into the home as well as around windows and doors. When you have eliminated all possible entry holes, your property will no longer allow in nuisance rodents.
Next you must eliminate all food and water sources that may be feeding a rodent infestation. Make sure that all food in your cupboards is placed in heavy duty plastic containers with tight fitting lids; never leave food on your countertops and keep cupboards clean and dry. If you are finding mouse poop in your cupboards, there is a good chance that rodents are feasting on something in the cupboards, so very carefully examine all items stored there.
Finally it is important to remove all possible nesting areas for rodents. This is not entirely possible in most properties, because rodents will find their way into the walls, which can be almost impossible to prevent. But it is possible to prevent rodents from nesting in your storage boxes as well as in areas of clutter. Make sure that all your stored items are in heavy duty plastic containers with tight fitting lids and eliminate piles of clutter to make your property less attractive to rodents.
Rodent exclusion is one of the best ways to provide complete rodent control. Although mouse traps and other baits or traps are effective at catching rodents, they are not always the best way to eliminate the entire infestation or keep it from returning. If you’ve been hearing squeaks in the night, scratching inside your walls or you’ve been seeing rodent droppings, you probably have a rodent problem. Contact Parkway today for more information on our rodent exclusion services and to schedule your first inspection.