4 Quick And Easy Ways To Rodent Proof Your Home

Before we discuss the four easy ways to keep mice and rats away, let's first breach the topic of why we would want to.

You might not believe this, but some people think mice and rats are cute. There are even a few of you who have them as pets. Truth be told, rats make a wonderful pet. They are very good natured, and wonderfully cuddly, when they're clean.

But wild rodents are anything but clean--even those adorable little mice. The CDC directly links rodents to many human-transmitted diseases like salmonella, tularemia, lassa fever, leptospirosis, and hemorrhagic fever, just to name a few.

On top of this, rodents are dumpster divers and sewage pipe runners. They are as much at home in a bacteria-laden box filled with rot and decay as they are in your pantry. And if this were not enough, rodents are impelled to chew on everything to wear down their incisors.

That means you'll have chewed wood, chewed food packaging, holes in your walls, and cut wiring.

Does an animal that does this sound like anything you want crawling around in your wall voids and attic spaces?

Way # 1: Seal entry points.

Take a flashlight, caulking gun, and stuf-fit copper wire mesh, and do a perimeter search of your home. Look for rotted areas and holes that a rodent could squeeze through. Remember, a mouse can get through a hole the size of a dime.

Use stuf-fit copper wire mesh to fill in large holes in your foundation or exterior walls. And stick some mesh in the holes of your downspouts to keep rodents from gaining access to your roof.

Way # 2: Keep food sources sealed.

Rodents will seek to establish a food and water source before winter. If your food is in sealed, hard plastic containers, not only will they not be able to smell it, they won't be able to get into it.

Be sure to keep all of your trash in sealed containers. Put pet food down only during meal time. And don't leave any food out on the counter.

Way # 3: Cut back foliage.

External plants like bushes, shrubs, Ivy, and Pachysandra, all provide ground cover for rodents to roam through, and concealment to cover their activities.

Cut these back before winter to keep rodents from feeling comfortable next to your foundation walls. Cut back tree branches as well so rodents won't have access to your vulnerable roofline.

Way # 4: Get a Professional Pest Control Service.

Pest control companies have a massive knowledge base on excluding pests. Consider having them do a free inspection. They can give you options on how to pest proof your home from rodents and a whole host of other critters. They can even do all the hard work of sealing entry points for you.

The bottom line for rodents is that they are looking for food and safety. If you don't provide these, they will move on to a more attractive location. With a few changes, you can make your home unwelcome to disease-spreading rodents. It is as easy as that.