Have rodents entered your home chewing utility lines, soiling food and causing sanitation concerns? Homes around Eugene and Roseburg experience mice and rat infestations year round but especially each fall and winter. Often once removed, rodents just seem to keep coming back. Let us show you how to rodent proof your home once and for all!
The Rodent Inspection
The first step in discovering how to rodent proof your home is starting with a complete and detailed inspection. This inspection should include a careful probing look up on the roof, under the eaves, in the attic, around the exterior siding and even under the home. Trash receptacle areas, wood piles, shrubbery and ground covers should be reviewed. Prepare to get dirty and possibly stuck in some tight spots or just call us at Eugene 541-636-0146 or Roseburg 541-672-6339 or contact us here for a FREE Rodent Proofing Inspection.
The most common mistake we find homeowners make with exclusion efforts is underestimating rodents abilities to climb. Most homeowners can’t believe the very small holes rodent can use for entry points. Keep in mind that rodents are amazing acrobats and can climb plants, phone wires, pipes, siding and nearly any other rough surface. They can even climb straight up a brick wall several stories high. Mouse exclusion requires that all gaps over 1/4 inch (rats 1/2 inch) must be screened or filled.
The first goal of a rodent proofing inspection is to determine sources of food for infesting rodents. Careful attention should be given to all sources of food and water. These could be up to 300 or more feet away from shelter areas. They might even be at a neighbors home or nearby restaurant. Outdoor pet dishes, bird feeders, garden ponds, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and overflowing trash cans provide great sources for rodent food.
The second goal of the rodent inspection is to locate rodent shelter sites. Wood piles, storm drains, culvert pipes, broken concrete, lumber piles and any other outdoor clutter should be removed or organized off the ground where possible. Rats can dig and love to tunnel under woodpiles or concrete. Look carefully for any holes that might look like an inviting cave to a wandering mouse or rat.
Learn more the tips on how to prevent rodents!
Rodents often smell the odors of food coming from inside a home and look for points of entry that might offer easy access. Past infestations might have established body odors that lead inside–resulting in seemingly rapid re-infestations. Pipes and plumbing penetrations such as air conditioner condenser lines often enter the home with room to spare offering easy access. Foundation and attic eave vents often have missing or damaged screens. Exterior doors might have large gaps around or under them. Dryer vents are frequently clogged with lint and may have inoperable louver doors. Unscreened stink pipes on the roof may even provide access.
The bottom line is that rodents require food and shelter to thrive. By reducing clutter, improving sanitation and limiting rodent access to structures, significant impact on rodent populations can be achieved–even without the use of traps or poisons. Rodent inspections require patience and attention to detail but are the essential first step in any successful rodent exclusion project.
How to Rodent Proof your Home – Start Here
Before you fall off a ladder or get stuck under your house call Bug Zapper Pest Control for a FREE Rodent Home Inspection. Let our trained technicians accurately identify points of entry and help you find the best solution. Learn how to rodent proof your home the easy way.
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Call or Text 541-636-0146 or contact us here to schedule today.
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