If you live here in Southern California, it can be difficult to keep your home free from pests, especially rodents. Rodents are prevalent in the area, thanks to easy access to food, water, and shelter, and thanks to the moderate, year-round temperatures. So, how can you ensure that your home remains free from these critters who want to invite themselves inside? Today, we’re going to cover a few basic tips that you can employ to minimize the likelihood that you end up with an infestation of rodents in your home. And remember, if all else fails, you can always count on Hi-Tech for rodent control solutions throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego County. Here are our tips to keep rodents away from your property:
Keep It Clean
First and foremost, you should keep your home clean and tidy. Mice and rats are attracted to spaces that have plenty of places to hide, and they will scavenge your home for any scrap of food they can find. So, to deter these creatures from making your home their home, you should keep things tidy, and you should be especially careful to keep crumbs and sources of food swept up and locked away. Also, be sure to invest in tall, smooth-sided trash bins with lids around the house (especially in the kitchen), since rodents are adept at climbing, and they can smell any food that has been tossed in the trash. Clean your trash bins regularly if they start to smell — rodents have a good sense of smell, and they’ll follow their nose to locate any source of food in your home.
In addition, you shouldn’t keep sources of nesting materials lying around the home. Rodents build nests to keep their offspring warm, and if they have easy access to nesting materials in your home, it can prove to make your home an attractive habitat to grow future generations. Keep loose papers, clothes, cotton balls, and other soft items tucked away.
Block Entry Points
While you may think that your home is rather impervious to creatures, you’d be surprised at how easy it can be for a mouse to make its way into a house. Oftentimes, mice can squeeze into a home through the smallest of holes (in fact, a mouse can squeeze through a hole that is no larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter!), whether it be poor weather stripping on a door, or a small hole for the dryer vent to your laundry room. You can have your home inspected by a rodent exclusion expert to determine weak points throughout your home, and your expert can block any potential entry points to minimize the risk of an infestation. If you live here in Southern California, you can always give our specialists a call to locate and block off those easy access points.
Store Food Safely
As we mentioned, rodents have a keen sense of smell, and they are adept at climbing (did you know that mice can climb up to 13 inches up a smooth, vertical surface?!). That can make it easy for a mouse to make its way into your pantry, where they can climb from shelf to shelf, and chew into whatever food package smells tastiest. To ensure that mice don’t turn your kitchen into an open feast, you should keep food off the ground and in secure, hard packaging. Consider putting grains and cereals in hard plastic containers that seal tightly — these containers should be sufficient to keep rodents from smelling the food or nibbling their way into the packaging.
Eliminate Sources of Water
While rodents need very little water to survive (in fact they can often get all of their necessary water from food sources), they may be attracted to sources of water. Be wary of water in your bathrooms and kitchen, as well as water that can accumulate around various appliances in your home (e.g. your water heater). Use a towel to clean up any spills in the kitchen, or any water that has escaped your bathtub or shower. And make sure that your appliances feed into drainage pipes that are securely covered.
Felines & Canines
Believe it or not, a pet can prove to be a fantastic deterrent to keep mice and rats from calling your home their own. Both dogs and cats can work wonders to scare off critters that might otherwise make their way into your home, even if your animals don’t aggressively hunt down rodents. The mere presence of a dog or a cat can be sufficient to scare off mice and rats.
Bait & Trap
If you’re concerned that rats and mice may make their way into your home, then it’s best to be proactive by setting out traps. Laying a few traps throughout the house can serve to gage whether or not rodents have made their way into your home, and this preventative measure can help to ensure that they don’t produce offspring. Check your traps once in a while to see if rodents are trying to claim your home as their habitat.
Schedule Regular Inspections
If you’ve had an infestation before, or if you suspect that rodents have made their way into your home, then you should schedule regular inspections from an exterminator. A professional will know where to look and what to look for to identify whether or not rodents are on your property. And, if rodents are found, your exterminator can offer you a swift solution to get rid of those pests. If you live in Los Angeles, San Diego County, or Orange County, then Hi-Tech is your local source for rodent inspections and exclusions. We’d be happy to take a look at your abode and to make sure that it is rodent-free, and it stays that way. Reach out to us today to learn what we can do for you!