As the leaves begin to fall and the environment adapts, so do the pests. Cooler temperatures make sleeping outside less appealing than the warmth that your home gives off as fall breezes settle in. In honor of rodent awareness week, Franklin Pest Solutions brings you 10 tips to get rid of mice and rats.
Millennial Rodents
Times… they are a-changing. We used to proudly don the ears of our favorite mouse mascot but nowadays we retweet NYC Pizza Rat. Much like younger tech-savvy humans, these furry pests are more hungry for access to everything. Having learned so much from previous generations, they know that just a little more resilience can get them into places they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Don’t let pushy rodents over-take your home!
Best Way to Get Rid of Mice
To promote rodent awareness week, Franklin Pest Solutions has put together lists to help get rid of mice and rats and keep them out. Throughout the week, we will provide you with tips on trouble areas you might have overlooked, preventative rodent control steps and stress-relieving anecdotes. Similar to cockroaches, rodents travel in packs, meaning there is no such thing as 1 mouse.
*Fact: a group of mice is a called a nest and a group of rats is called a mischief
Mice Chew Wires, Causing Fires
Rodent’s teeth grow very quickly which forces them to chew constantly to keep their teeth filed. Rodents can reek havoc on your home but they can also put your safety at risk by damaging circuits in your car or short-circuiting your home and causing a fire, at least some rats are polite enough to pull the fire alarm. Entering into cars and homes is no challenge for rats and mice can manage to squeeze through openings and gaps as small as a dime
Keep rodents from destroying your property and compromising your health by following these top 10 preventive steps, according to NPMA’s PestWorld.org:
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens
- Screen vents and openings to chimneys
- Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home, using caulk and/or steel wool, and don’t forget to seal up points of entry into the garage
- Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly
- Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry
- Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows
- Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains that provide the perfect breeding site for pests
- Inspect items such as a boxes, grocery bags and other packages brought into the home or car
- Regularly inspect under the hood of vehicles for gnawed materials, nests, droppings or frayed wires
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery trimmed and cut back from the house
If rodents seem to be nesting in your walls or scurrying across your floors, reach out to your helpful pest control neighbors at Franklin Pest Solutions. Call us with any questions 800-GOT-PESTS.
