Every homeowner should try and follow these guidelines to make sure rats and mice don’t find their way inside. Here’s what you should do.
Tidy Up In and Around the House
Clean up after every meal and don’t leave any leftover food out in the open. Foodstuffs should be stored in sealed containers. This goes for pet food as well. Tall grass and shrubs are excellent hiding places for mice and rats, which is why you should keep them well trimmed. Remove any clutter you might have, including piles of wood, dead leaves, shrub clippings, etc. so they can’t use them as nesting places. These vermin are also adept climbers, and they can reach your roof by climbing a tree so you should keep branches away from your house. Also, clear up any fallen fruit and don’t scatter bird feed on the ground.
Dispose of Your Trash Correctly
If you are composting your trash, make sure you put a fine steel mesh between the soil and the composter. All of your garbage bins should be made of metal or hard plastic so that rodents can’t chew through them trying to reach their food. Make sure all of the bins have tight-fitting lids and keep them closed. Not only will this prevent rodents from getting inside the bin, but it will also minimize the escape of trash odor, thus making the trash less attractive. Make it a habit to throw your trash frequently and on a regular basis. Finally, try to keep the trash cans as far away from your house as possible, ideally on concrete and not on grass.
Don’t Postpone Small Repairs
Windows, exterior and garage doors should all be weather-stripped and your screen doors should be in excellent condition, i.e. without any holes or tears. Cover vents and chimneys with fine wire mesh. Use the same mesh for small openings and cracks in the foundations and walls, and then plaster over it. Finally, put steel wool in holes made for plumbing, electrical or gas lines and then caulk over the wool. If you have a leaky tap or sweaty pipes, have them fixed ASAP. Not only will you save money on future, more extensive repairs, but you will also eliminate the rodents main water source.