We've almost made it out of ant season, here in the south, but that only means that colder temperatures will soon be here. With the cold comes a new list of home invaders. The number one pest problem that occurs in the fall and winter months are rodents! Here are some tips to help prevent the little critters from taking over your home:
1) Keep trees and shrubs away from the house. Mice and rats are excellent climbers and can use tree limbs to gain access to the attic. Trees should be trimmed as far back as possible and shrubs should be at least 1 foot from the house.
2) Keep garbage cans away from the home. Mice nest withing 50 feet of where they feed, so if you leave a buffet for them, they are more likely to enter the home.
3) Seal any vents in the foundation or attic with hardware cloth, steel wool and/or expansion foam.
4)If you have a garage, put glue boards on both sides of the garage door(s). This will catch them as they come in.
5) If you use snap traps, peanut butter works best as a bait. Also, never throw away a used snap trap. The become more effective once the rodent's scent is on it.
6) I use poisons as a last resort. You never know where the rodent will die. If you do use poison and a mouse dies in a wall void, dipping cotton balls in peppermint oil can help mask the odor.
