Rodent Prevention

Rodent Prevention

Rodents become a big nuisance during the cooler seasons of the year.  During the winter food and shelter become sparse and hard to obtain and that's when rodents move in.  Rats and mice are classified as Commensal Rodents.  The word commensal means "to share table" or to live among people.  Rats and mice are constantly on the lookout for food and warm places to raise their young, eventually finding shelter inside your home.  Most rodent infestaions go undetected by home owners until populations become so large that rodent signs become apparent.

So what signs should home owners be looking for: one of the most visible signs that home owners should look for are rodent droppings.  During early infestaions rodent droppings normally are located in hidden places, for example: in corners of floors especially in garages and basements, near furnaces and water heaters, stored boxes, under furniture, kitchen stoves, inside kitchen cabinets and in pantry areas.  Other signs of rodent problems might be that the home owner is hearing movement or gnawing inside walls, attics, or crawlspaces or starts experiencing electrical problems.  The word rodent is Latin meaning "to gnaw": rodents are constantly gnawing on objects and often on the electrical wiring in your home.  Rodents don't only contaminate and spread disease they're resposible for house fires as well.

Steps To Help Prevent Rodent Problems

The First Step: make sure your home is free from any defects that may allow rodent enty.  Mice can enter through openings as little as 1/4 of an inch and rats can enter 1/2 inch openings.  Inspect your home for gaps around doors, siding, ventilation and utility penetration; knowing where rodents may enter is key to keeping them out.

The Second Step: reduce harboarage around your house.  Harborage is anything that is capable of supporting life, for example:  abundance of pet food or bird seed left outside and overgrown vegetation or bushes around your home will attract and support rodent populaitons.  Reducing harborage will make you house less attractive to rodents.

I hope this information will help keep you and your family safe from rodents this winter.  If you would like more information on rodents and rodent management please visit my web site at www.visionpmp.com