Living with a roommate can be amazing, and it can be a nightmare. It all depends on who you choose to live with. Find someone who takes your needs and concerns seriously, and you will have a good time. Find someone who doesn't care what you think and does whatever they feel like, and you'll want to move out within a few months. Interestingly enough, rodents can be both good and bad roommates. If you keep them as pets, you might enjoy having them around. Wild rodents, on the other hand, are always a huge problem for homeowners. To keep pest rodents out of your Tupelo home, here are three things you should be doing.
Learn More About Rodents
One of the best things to do to prevent rodents is to do your research. Figure out the reasons why mice and rats are the two most common home-invading rodents in our area. Learn about their behaviors, like how they are nocturnal, chew holes through walls, and can jump considerable distances. One thing every homeowner should know is that rodents are typically intelligent. Rats and mice have both proven this by disarming traps and stealing bait without getting hurt. Ignoring everything else for a second, if there is only one thing you should know about rats and mice, it's that they prefer living inside homes rather than outside in the wild. If your home gives these pests opportunities to get inside and reasons to stay, they will become a problem.
Figure Out How To Identify A Rodent Infestation
When rodents like mice and rats get into a home, they do so by sneaking in. Our recommendation is to keep your eyes out for the signs these pests leave behind. Here are a few clues rats and mice leave:
- Holes chewed through walls
- Grease marks along baseboards
- Gnaw marks on the legs of furniture
- Damaged boxes of stored foods
- Outlets randomly stopping working
- Pellets of fecal matter in the corners of pantries and the back of drawers
- The smell of ammonia (urine) in the air
- Ripped up fabrics, books, insulation, newspaper, and other material that could be used by rodents as nesting material
- The pitter-patter of footsteps within wall and ceiling voids late at night
Discover Prevention Tips To Keep Rodent Out
If you thoroughly evaluate your home and discover no signs of rodents, your next step should be to put in place preventative measures. Here are a few great places to start:
- Using a caulking gun and some steel wool, fill in holes, gaps, and cracks in your home's exterior foundation.
- Install wire mesh screens over exterior vents leading out of your house.
- Clear clutter and debris from your yard and keep your landscaping well-trimmed.
- Eliminate sources of water build up around your property.
- Address broken gutters and leaky pipes in and around your home.
- Keep unscreened doors, and windows closed as much as possible.
- Thoroughly clean your home at least once a week.
- Repackage food stored in cardboard boxes or plastic bags into glass, metal, or thick plastic containers.
- Be careful not to leave leftover food out in the open.
- If you own pets, pick up and clean out their food bowls after every meal.
Bonus Tip: Hire A Professional
If you suspect rodents are crawling around inside your Tupelo home or are looking for a simpler solution to keep these furry invaders away, get the experts at McCary Pest Control involved. Our team consists of highly qualified pest technicians, friendly service representatives, and pest experts and is ready at a moment's notice to help with your rodent problems.
Contact us today to learn more about our rodent control or to schedule your home for a free pest inspection. Find out more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services.