You take care of your house on a regular basis. The landscaping looks great, and you might even be on a regular pest control schedule to keep out the bugs. But if you think “there’s no way mice, rats, squirrels, and other rodents are making their way into my house,” think again.
The good news is that it’s easy to take action and keep your home safe. With a little planning and
preventive measures, you’ll keep your castle rodent-free.
Why do rodents seek the indoors in winter?
This may seem like an easy one to answer – and it is. In the outdoors, rodents typically find shelter in hollowed-out logs, thick brush, debris, and in trees. But when they live near and on your property, they can have easy access to the warmest of shelters – your house. They want to be indoors for many of the same reasons you do. A few include:
● It’s warm inside
● Easy access to food
● Safety from predators
How do rodents get into my house?
It doesn’t take much of an opening for a mouse or even a squirrel to squeeze through. Don’t believe it? Next time you’re outside, watch how effortlessly a squirrel can fit through one of the openings in a chain-link fence. Rodents have skeletons that collapse, making it extremely easy for them to fit in holes no bigger than a dime or even the width of a pen! That means just about any opening into your house is an access point for wildlife. Tears in screens. Vents and pipes. Your dryer exhaust. Gaps under the garage door. Even the drains that lead into your
bathroom and kitchen.
You’ll know you have rodents – or are likely to – by looking for these tell-tale signs:
● Damaged soffits. Even the smallest of openings provide an easy pathway into your attic.
● Droppings. You’re likely to find these around nests and food sources.
● Torn food packages. Be attentive to damage to your cereals and seeds.
● Squeaks and shuffling behind your walls.
● Just about any place where there’s a tiny opening into your house.
How to keep rodents from your house
Left unchecked, rodents can do serious damage to your house. And not just in the places you can see.
Within your attic and walls, they can be damaging your PVC pipes, wiring, and insulation. And if they
start breeding, you’ll have an infestation on your hands.
They’re also a danger to your personal health through their droppings and bites. The hantavirus is one of
the dangerous infections that rodents can spread to humans. So here are a few tips that you can follow
to keep these unwanted pests from taking up residence in your garage, attic, and even the walls of your
house.
● Seal up openings in doors, windows, and garage doors. Patch any tears in screens, and seal up holes with caulk. For extra reinforcement, you can fill small openings with steel wool.
● Assess the perimeter of your home. Look high and low for an opening, however tiny, that could allow mice, rats and other rodents to enter.
● Don’t leave food outside. That bowl of kibble you leave on the patio for your pets or the neighborhood cat? It’s also attracting some unwanted guests as well, turning your home into a food source.
● Secure your trash bin. And be sure to always put out your bins on collection day to keep them free of tempting food.
● Screen in your chimney vents. A mesh-covered cap will keep rodents from climbing down your chimney.
● Keep branches trimmed back away from your house. If you’ve ever heard scurrying across your rooftop, you know it’s likely from squirrels. You may have seen them using nearby tree limbs to reach your rain gutter and roof.
● Follow a monthly pest control plan. A qualified inspector will let you know if you have any rodents living in our home or are at risk. They can also safely lay traps and return to retrieve them until your problem is taken care of.
Choose JD Smith for Your Pest Control
If you’re concerned you may have a few too many entry points into your home, don’t wait until the
temperatures drop even further. Take action against these intruders by calling the professionals at JD
Smith. Their representatives are ready to provide a full assessment of the integrity of your home. Rely on
JD Smith and you’ll sleep well this winter knowing you, your family, and your pets are the only ones
living in your home.
