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Have you ever watched a cartoon where a rodent scurrying across the floor makes the human character jump onto the chandelier in order to get away? This scene is common because it represents how many of us feel about rodents. We want them as far away from us as possible! Rodents can spread disease, cause damage to your home, and create a flea problem for you and your pets. Unfortunately, rodents such as mice and rats commonly infest homes and you could be contributing to a rodent problem in your own home. There are several things that you may be doing to cause a rodent problem to occur or continue.
- Leaving clutter and food out around your home
Rodents are living creatures with some of the same physical needs as humans. They need shelter from extreme weather along with food and water. Your home is an attractive place to rodents because it can provide them with the shelter they need from the elements. In addition, if you have a home that is cluttered you may also be providing them with the food they need to survive. Opened food containers, dropped pieces of food, and an overflowing trashcan can all attract rodents into your home. If you have a rodent problem take a hard look at the cleanliness of your home. Determine if there are habits you need to establish in order to stop attracting rodents. Habits such as closing up food containers, cleaning the dirty dishes, and taking out the trash can help you keep rodents out of your home.
- Falling behind on your home maintenance
If you have rodents in your home it means that they are getting in somehow. It is possible that they slipped in through an opened door but it is also possible that they found a breach in your home that allows them to come and go. These breaches can occur in your home over time if you fall behind on regular maintenance. A current rodent problem may be a sign that you need to spend some time working on your home. Look for and close up any areas that would allow a rodent access to your home. This has the added benefit of keeping out other types of pests that are looking for a way in.
- You have only been treating part of the problem
Oftentimes seeing one rodent is an indication that you have a larger rodent problem. The ability that rodents have to remain unseen makes it difficult to know that you have completely eradicated the problem. If you see a mouse and later catch one with a trap you may feel like you took care of the problem. When you see another rodent at a later period does that mean you have a new rodent problem or that you never fully go rid of your old rodent problem? It most likely means that you only treated part of the problem and left other, unseen rodents in your home. If you have addressed the issues of clutter and home maintenance but continue to have a rodent problem it means that your method of eradicating the problem is not working. At this point, your best option is to call in the help of a professional pest control company. They will have the knowledge and resources available to successfully deal with your rodent problem.
