No one wants to deal with rodents. But as homeowners, we have to deal with this problem since this is a common occurrence. No matter how clean we are or how vigilant we are to prevent pests from making a home in our home, there would still come a time when they would invade. These rodents are resilient and if we are not as stubborn as them, we would not be able to get rid of them.
Fortunately, if we cut off their supply of food, water and shelter, they would move on and leave us alone.
Remove Food and Water Sources
Every time we finish our meal, we have to make sure that we keep the kitchen clean. No food debris and crumbs should be left in the table, sink or the floor. Disinfect after using the kitchen. If you have a garden and you have fruits and vegetables, harvest ripe fruits and make sure produce that fell to the ground are also routinely cleaned.
If you have pets, keep their food in sealed containers. Rat-proof your food storages and keep them in metal containers. Your trash cans must be empty at the end of the day if possible. If you could not dispose of your trash immediately, make sure that the lids are tightly closed every time. If you have any leaking faucets, fix them immediately and any stagnant puddle of water should be drained. Make sure that your drain covers are also secure.
Call Professionals
After removing their food and water supply, the next thing to do is to call professionals for pest control. Some of the traps designed for critter control of rodents are dangerous especially if you have children and pets. It is better that you leave this to the professionals. By doing so, you would also be sure that they would make a thorough sweep of your property to eliminate every last one of these rodents.
Do not attempt to poison these pests because once they die and you have no idea where they are, you would soon have to deal with the odour. Professionals would also dispose of the dead rats properly without having to worry about the smell and the health hazard it could impose. Once the pests are all gone, clean and disinfect your whole home.
Eliminate Shelter
Now that your home is rid of these pests, the next thing you must do is to make sure they would not come back. Walk around and inspect your house and if you see any openings that are big enough to fit a rat or mice, close it. If your vent screens are broken, fix them immediately. Clean your garden and trim your trees, bushes and vines. Your vegetation should be thin out and sunlight should be able to pass. Get rid of any dark places that rats could hide and keep the premises clean.
Keeping these three steps in mind would ensure that you would not have any problem with regards to rodents in the future. Be wary since rats are not only pests but could also be carriers of diseases.
