Mice and rats are amongst some of the most common pests that people find in their homes. They are experts in stealth and are surprisingly clever when it comes to being undetected. However, they can usually be detected from the clues they leave behind — clues meaning droppings, unfortunately. But, there are some steps that you can take to actively prevent rodents from entering your home in the first place. In today’s blog at Dave’s Pest Control, we offer 10 helpful tips for keeping mice, rats, and other rodents from your home in Volusia or Flager County.
Need help with rodent control or preventing them from entering your home? Reach out to our expert pest control team at Dave’s Pest Control today.
Repair Damaged Screens
One of the most effective ways you can prevent rodents from entering your home is by limiting their entry points as best as you can. One way you can do this is by double-checking the screens in all of the windows in your home. This way you can confidently leave your windows open without having to worry about a critter sneaking in through small holes in your screen. Though it is worth noting that mice and rats can chew through screens. So, it might be a good idea to at least close your ground and basement-level windows at night time.
Seal Cracks and Holes
Much like the holes in your screens, rodents are skilled at finding any small holes or entrances to your home. One way you can prevent rodents from entering your home is by examining the outside of your property and making sure that any entrances are properly sealed. Even small holes that you don’t think a mouse could fit through should be sealed as well — rodents are tenacious buggers. We recommend using steel wool or caulking to seal small cracks and holes.
If you need help properly sealing and preventing mice from entering your home in Flager and Volusia counties, contact our pest control team at Dave’s Pest Control. Our rodent control specialists are happy to help!
Keep Food Stored Properly
Rodents, and many other pests, are attracted to places with easy access to food. If you have food unprotected and unsealed sitting in cabinets, on counters, or elsewhere in the home, it is a siren’s call for pests to enter your home. It can be easy to forget but make sure things like pet food, cereal, and other snacks are sealed in air-tight containers. This way, your food items are difficult to access for hungry critters, making your home a less appealing homestead. You can help prevent needing pest control services in the first place by taking proper precautions like sealing food in air-tight containers!
Adopt a Cat
Cats are certainly not for everyone. But, if you happen to have an affinity toward felines, having a cat around the house can act as a big deterrent for rodents looking to enter your home. Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor cat, the cat’s natural instincts are to hunt and exterminate mice and rats. However, it’s worth noting that not all cats catch mice. Some just watch them run by or are even afraid of them. For the most part, though, cats are pretty great at getting rid of mice in your home and can make excellent companions.
Place Screens in Chimneys
Chimneys are a convenient access point for mice and other rodents to make your way into your home. One of the easiest ways to prevent access through the chimney is through the use of a chimney screen. These allow for smoke and air to easily pass through, but keep any solids from coming in or out of your chimney.
Have mice and rats already made their way into your home through the chimney or through other means? Contact our team at Dave’s Pest Control today for high-quality, efficient pest control services!
Invest in Gutter Guards
Having gutter guards installed on your gutters can be a great way to keep rodents and other pests out of your home. Gutters can sometimes act as a highway of sorts for mice to get cozy and access your home. Gutter guards allow for water to easily flow through your gutters but block out larger objects — like rodents and leaves. An additional bonus of gutter guards are that you won’t have to clear out leaves from your gutter nearly as often, if at all.
Set Traps
It may sound odd to put out mouse traps before you have a pest control problem, but setting traps can be a great preventative measure. You can prevent rodents from ever entering your home by setting well-placed traps around the outside of your home that may be attractive to these pests. It’s much easier to prevent a rodent infestation with traps than it is to actively remove rodents once they’ve set up shop. Just make sure that they are not somewhere where children or pets can easily stumble upon them. For help with rodent control, get your free pest control estimate at Dave’s Pest Control.
Utilize Smells Mice Hate
Strangely enough, there are some smells that mice hate that steer them clear of your home. Clean-smelling homes that have strong scents are often enough to turn mice away. Some specific examples of materials people like to use include mint, bay leaves, mothballs, and dryer sheets. These products emit a scent that mice simply aren’t fond of. You wouldn’t want to live in a house that wreaked of feet in the same way that mice don’t want to stay in a home that smells strongly of mint or dryer sheets. Please note that if you choose to use mothballs, they can be poisonous to children and dogs.
Keep Doors Closed
It’s obvious that you should keep your front doors and patio doors to your house closed to prevent pests from getting in. But, many people surprisingly forget to keep garage doors closed too. Once mice make their way into your garage door, they can sometimes more easily stumble upon a simple way to enter your home. A great way to prevent rodents from entering your home is to make it as difficult as possible for them. This means shutting the garage door, front door, back door, and any other doors to the home quickly after everyone is through them.
Contact Dave’s Pest Control
Our team at Dave’s Pest Control hopes these 10 tips will help keep your home rodent-free. If for some reason, they still manage to make their way into your home, you can count on us. Our pest control services make quick work of any rodent infestation. If you need help with rodent control in Flager or Volusia Counties, reach out to us at Dave’s Pest Control right away!