Ways To Keep Rats & Mice Out After Chasing Them Away
Once you’ve gotten control of rodent issues with special services, there are ways to keep a new generation of them from returning in the future. One way doors are a good option that allows an animal to leave the building, but not return. It also keeps curious new ones from getting inside, to begin with. Of course, if you have pets that might also use these doors, this might not work for you but there are other ways to consider.
Properly sealing your home against a “re-invasion” of pests isn’t that hard to do. In the process of getting them to leave, you will have discovered most of the ways rats and mice were getting in, to begin with. Remember that rodents don’t need that big a space to squeeze through so don’t ignore even the smallest opening. Also remember that mice are great jumpers, and have no problem climbing vertical surfaces, so even openings that seem too high should be dealt with.
Vents, roof eaves, holes around pipes, and doors, all are easy for rats or mice to squeeze through. Wire mesh or steel wool you can buy at any grocery store works well to seal these opening because trying to chew through it hurts a rodent’s mouth. Plumber’s caulk also works well, because once it hardens, even a rat couldn’t chew through it. This might sound like a lot of work but the methods used to get pests out require maintenance and it just isn’t feasible to treat the exterior of a building with liquid solutions rodents find unpleasant.
Keep any food stored in outbuildings in rodent-proof containers, if they can’t find anything to eat, they will move on. Garbage cans offer a feast to any pest that can climb right up their side like rats or mice can. Be sure all waste containers are kept tightly sealed, and the area around them free of anything lying about that would make a meal for pests. If you have a mulch pile that includes a bit of household garbage, make sure it is as far away as possible from any building, or you may even want to avoid cultivating your own garden mulch if you’re already experiencing rat or mice issues.
Rodents are food for other animals so they like having plenty of handy hiding spots. Evaluate the outside of your home and do a little re-organizing if necessary. If they don’t have a convenient place to run from a predator, rodents won’t feel comfortable enough to stick around. They love anything in a pile such as stacks of lumber, recyclables waiting to be hauled off, gardening supplies or even yard waste that is allowed to pile up. Move anything you need to keep as far away from the building as possible and deny rodents any hiding spots close to your home. Also, when grass grows right next to a building, keep it short because this might be another area mice or rats can hide in.