Rodents like mice and rats can also gain access into the home through gaps in ceilings or windows and even through sewer lines, as the case may be. Homes with improperly sealed drainage pipes may find rodents entering through bathtub drains or sinks. Also, these small animals can find their way into your home via entry holes around plumbing and oven gas lines.

Naturally, there is usually an increase in the population of rodents especially rats and mice during the summer months. This is because food such as nuts, fruits, and grains tend to increase in quantities at this time. However, the food sources often dwindle significantly when temperatures drop due to the arrival of autumn. This is when rodents begin to look for shelter and other alternative food supplies.

Most often than not, they find alternative food sources and shelter by getting inside your home, shop, office and factory. Usually, nothing is done about this inevitable invasion until these small animals have made way into the home, establish their own home and begin to wreak havoc, especially in the kitchen and store.

Apart from these, rodents such as rats, mice, squirrels, and marmots are commonly known to cause short circuits and floods by gnawing on cables and pipes. Also, they also cause certain health risks when they eat your food. People with a natural fear of rodents often experience consternation whenever they come across them. If there is any right time to prepare for and prevent rodent invasion in your home, it is now.

Here as a few simple tips that can guide you on how to prevent rodents from getting inside your home.

Inspect the Foundation

One common entry place for mice into the home is through cracks on the wall most especially those that are very close to entryways and windows. As part of efforts to control rodent invasion, it is good to take a walk around the outside of the house to check for holes and cracks that could be employed by mice and rats to get into your home. If you find any, ensure to seal it up with either concrete mortar or sheet metal.

Close the Outside Doors

To discourage these animals from entering into the house, avoid leaving your outside doors open such as the front door or garage door. If they are left open, they (mice, rats, and squirrels) could take the opportunity to dart inside especially when you are not looking. Rodents like mice are known to be very active at night, so ensure not to leave the doors open overnight. It is recommended to install screen doors if you must leave your doors open. 

Seal Off Vents and Chimneys and Cable and Drain Outlets

If the hole created for cable outlets is large enough for rodents to fit into, they can easily follow the lines to gain entry into your home. Also, they can scurry into vents and chimneys or come in around access holes created for drains and running pipe. Mice and other rodents can be prevented from penetrating into vents and chimneys, as well as pipes by installing screens. 

Shut Your Windows

Most rodents would experience no trouble at all getting into your home through a window because they are good climbers. The best way to avoid this menace is by keeping your windows closed at all times but if they must be left open ensure to screen them. Nevertheless, a tear in fabric screens or a rusty hole could provide rodents with access into your home. So, it is important to regularly inspect your screens as they tend to break down over time. As a preventive measure, use hardware cloth or steel wool to close up the gap between the window and the frame especially if it won’t close all the way.

Introduce Deterrents

There are several ways to deter rodents from entering into your home. One easy and natural way to do this is by keeping cats. Letting a cat spend time on your property will keep rodents, especially mice, and rats away. As mice’s natural predators, cat presence alone can effectively control the mice population on your property whether indoors or outdoors. Also, there are certain substances that can be used to repel mice. They include spearmint or peppermint essential oil, mint plants, bay leaves, and mothballs. These products or substances can be planted around the windows and doors of your home or sprinkled around the house.

Use Traps

Get traps and set them in strategic places where the rodents tend to visit very often. Live traps can be used to catch mice alive by luring them into cages. This can be done by setting cheese or peanut butter in them so that when they go in to get it, the door shuts behind them and they become trapped because they can’t get out. Another effective method is by using spring or glue traps. Nevertheless, it is important to note that if there are placed outside the home, there are greater chances of catching wild animals with them. 

Contact Alliance Pest Services for all your pest control problems in New Jersey.