Rodent Control Starts With You

Rodent control is not something that most people think about on a regular basis, largely because no one thinks about having rodents in their home until they see one scurrying across the floor.

Nonetheless, rodent control is something that starts and stops with those living in a home. It is up to those people to ensure that the problem never escalates to the point of needing to call in a professional service. To accomplish this, there are numerous steps that can be taken around the house to keep your living area free from these pests.

The first and most obvious step is to make sure that food, drinks and other items that may be desirable to these various animals are safely put away and out of reach when not in use. This may seem simple and straightforward, but this involves more than simply putting food and dishes away when you are done using them.

Various items, especially those that may be desirable to rodents such as pet food or other edible things, should always be kept in sealed containers that do not allow creatures to get in and out of them. Failure to do this can mean inviting these pests into your home.

Leaving liquids out overnight or for prolonged stretches of time can also extend this invitation as well. Make sure that glasses of water or other drinks are dumped out when they are no longer desired. Also, not leaving pet bowls full when not in use can be a very helpful method of rodent control.

It's also helpful to understand where rodents live and hide, and to make sure you take the necessary steps to prevent them from being drawn to these places. Dark crevices away from human foot traffic, such as behind a refrigerator or under a stove or dishwasher are prime examples of these locations, and should be cleaned out often to prevent food and other various things from collecting.

The backs of cabinets and more hard-to-reach areas such as those in attics, basements or crawl spaces also fit this description and require appropriate steps to maintain rodent control as well. For any of these areas that do not see regular traffic, be sure to not leave any food items or those that might attract rodents, and consider placing traps in these locations as well.

By keeping these various things in mind and making sure to practice all of the various, relevant types of rodent control in your own home, you can effectively prevent having to call in a professional service to deal with a potential infestation. Failing to do so could not only mean having to shell out the money to do this, but it could also mean coming face to face with a mouse or rat yourself.