Keeping Your Home Rodent-Free

Rodents are small gnawing animals with large teeth. Three common household rodents are mice, rats, and squirrels. They spread over 35 diseases, including hantavirus, salmonella, trichinosis, and bubonic plague. Rodent-borne diseases are spread directly to humans through bite wounds, consumption of food or water that is contaminated with rodent feces, coming in contact with surface water containing rodent urine, or through breathing in germs that may be present in rodent urine or droppings that have been stirred into the air (a process known as “aerosolization”). Diseases from rodents are also spread indirectly to humans by way of ticks, mites, and fleas that transmit the infection to humans after feeding on infected rodents. In addition, rodents are considered a fire hazard as they often chew on electrical wires in the home.

• The strategy used to prevent rodent infestation in a home is to create a situation in which rodents cannot enter your home and do not find food, water or shelter in or near it.
• Rats and mice can enter a home by squeezing through very small spaces, such as holes and cracks the size of a nickel.
• Rodents can gnaw through wood, cardboard, and plastic and may enter your home through holes in walls, pipes, and under doors.
• To help prevent rodents from infesting a home, treat the outside of the home by finding and filling gaps and holes around doors, windows, gas lines, plumbing, power lines and other places.
• Seal entry holes and spaces to your home by using good fillings. Depending on size, holes and spaces can be filled with many products, including steel wool, cement, caulking, cloth, metal sheeting, and other resources available at a hardware store.
• Rodents do not like exposed areas, so cut grass short and keep shrubbery trimmed within 100 feet of the home.
• Watch for signs of rodents in your home, such as:
  • sounds of running or gnawing in an attic or between floor boards,
  • seeing their droppings, which resemble black rice grains, or
  • observing their marks on walls.
• If you find that rodents have been in your house, clean up rodent urine and droppings very carefully. Disinfect areas and items that may have been contaminated by rodents.
• Traps may be used to catch rats and mice inside a home. Place traps next to walls and in other accessible, but hidden areas, such as next to the oven, refrigerator or washing machine.
• Keep food away from rodents by keeping kitchens and outdoor cooking grills clean, and by using thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids for foods and animal feed.
• Have a strong metal garbage can and lid that cannot be easily pushed aside by a rodent
• Consider having a pet cat that may be useful in catching mice.
• If necessary, call a professional pest control specialist.