With all the news about rodent infestation, you might be feeling a bit scared. It’s easy to see why people are so afraid of rats and mice, with their sharp teeth and their ability to spread disease. But there are plenty of ways you can do rodent control without leaving your home or spending too much money.
Aside from being a nuisance, rats and mice can also cause property damage and transmit disease. If you encounter droppings near a food item or a torn-up piece of paper, you’ll know it’s rodents. And you’ll want to take a number of steps to keep these creatures away from your property.
Read also: Mice And Rats: What’s The Difference?
How to have a rodent-free home?
Pest control methods that kill or poison rodents won’t keep these pests out of your home for long. It’s important to prevent rodent access to your home by making all possible entry holes difficult to open. You should also take steps to eliminate rodent food sources. Some of these are storing food products in secure containers and keeping all pipes from becoming leaky.
Use exclusion and sanitation techniques to prevent rodents from being able to access your building in a safe and healthy manner. The most efficient way to combat your rodent problem is to rid your premises of infestations at the very first opportunity. Effective methods, such as sealing entry points, can limit the rodents’ ability to enter buildings and can prevent future invasions from recurring.
Read also: 5 Reasons Why You Have Rodents At Home
After you have tightly blocked off all remaining pathways to sources of food and water, you’ll need to thoroughly remove any remaining rats. Below are different treatment options in ridding your home of rodent infestation.
Rodent control measures for rodent infestation
- Sealing gaps and holes
- Storing food securely
- Using electronic or snap traps
- Hiring a rodent control professional
What are the benefits of using traps to control rodent infestation?
Using traps instead of rodenticides gives you the ability to discover with certainty whether a trap has captured a rodent. This helps you ascertain the effectiveness of treatment. With this method, you will also quickly dispose rodents without leaving behind a foul odor in your walls or ceilings.
Most importantly, using traps prevents you from having to deal with repugnant rat carcasses. However, not all rat traps are recommended for use as some can endanger pets, wildlife, and children.
Kinds of rodent traps
Snap Trap
This is the widely known and oldest type of trap. It utilizes a spring-loaded bar to kill a rodent on contact. Some modern snap traps safeguard folks and pets by setting them in a covered compartment.
Electronic Trap
This battery-powered trap delivers a shock that kills rodents rapidly. This is a new model of trap, and versions exist for rats and mice.
Live Animal Trap
This is a catch and release system that avoids killing animals. However, this should be used with caution because according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), captured animals may urinate and enhance the risk of disease transmission.
Glue Trap
Many bird species, small lizards, and pets can become trapped in glue traps. These traps tend to subject animals to a great deal of unnecessary suffering, and they can also increase the risks of diseases spreading. The CDC advises against using glue traps because there are significant health risks when mice or rats get caught in traps.
How to safely clean-up after rodent control?
It is a must that you clean-up after doing rat or mouse control in your property. To ensure that disposal and clean-up are done safely and properly, follow the CDC tips on cleaning after rodents.
If you’re not comfortable about dealing with rodent infestation and cleaning, consider working with a professional exterminator. Look for companies with a NEA pest control certification and advanced Integrated Pest Management or IPM techniques.
