Rodents are one of the most dangerous pest species with widespread damage. The COVID-19 pandemic and the business closures across the world have posed new challenges to businesses and residential properties from the pest. Recently, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US has cautioned its citizens about the “aggressive or unusual rodent behaviour”.
According to the CDC, rodents may not be getting their regular food sources such as commercial business garbage and restaurant scraps due to the pandemic closures. This may force them to scatter and search for food from new places, making them aggressive.
Since the decreased business operations around the globe is a reality, the mice pest issue is a concern for almost every country. To a greater extent, you can control the rodents in your property premises naturally, without calling for professional pest control Sydney, London, or New York.
Let’s discuss some of the natural ways to get rid of rodents and make you, your family, and the property safe.
Ensure No Accessible Food Sources
The easily accessible food at your property is the attraction for the pest to come interior. To make rodents less interested in coming to your property, you can do the following:
● Store all your uncooked or cooked food in sealed, airtight bags and containers. Glass containers and hard plastic bottles are the best, as the rodents won’t even get the smell of the food.
● Try to clean your kitchen, work area, and dining area immediately after your meal and ensure that there is no food spillage that can attract rodents. Also, run the dishwasher daily and never allow dirty dishes left in the sink overnight.
● Put the food residue in enclosed trashcans every time and dispose of the garbage on a regular basis.
● If you have pets, secure the feeders from rats and clean the area on a regular basis.
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Secure Various Access Points
You should also secure all the entry points of rodents to your property. Inspect your property, especially the foundation, door frames, and windows for any holes and cracks. These cracks and holes can give easy access for rodents to your property. Seal all these entry points with putty, caulk, or concrete.
While inspecting around the property, you should also check for any firewood, tree, or shrub branches, or anything that is touching property and can give easy access for rodents. Trim the branches and move woodpiles away from the property. While storing firewood, always keep it at least 18 inches above the ground – possibly in elevated concrete blocks. This way, you can avoid rodents making their homes in woodpiles.
Remove Clutter In And Around The Property
Do you have any less accessible areas like attic or deck storage areas with a lot of clutter? Those areas can become the potential homes for rodents. Remove clutter from your rooms as well as your yard to make rodents less secure at your property.
Ensure that your property – both indoor and outdoor – is well maintained and organised every time to control the population of rodents in your property. This also includes proper maintenance of the yard, including regular grass cutting and trimming of shrubs.
Use Rodent Traps
This is the most conventional method for trapping rodents. You can use either snap-style traps to kill the rodents instantly or use live traps to catch them alive. These traps are available in different sizes to help you catch rats to mice.
If you think that your pets or other small animals may get trapped in snap-style traps, use live traps to catch the rodents. You can buy these traps from nearby hardware stores or home-supply outlets.
Rat Predators
Do you have a pet cat – the natural predators of rodents – at your home? They have the instinct to chase and kill rats. In most cases, rodents keep themselves away from cats. If you don’t have a pet cat at home, get one or borrow from your friends for a few weeks to see the difference.
Owls are also natural predators of rodents, and you can use the feathers of owls to scare the rodents away from the property. Some dog breeds like hunter dogs also chase the rodents, scare, and keep them away from the property.
Use Of Natural Repellents
You can also use repellents such as peppermint oil, onions, garlic, and ammonia spray to drive away mice and rats from your property. Rats dislike the smell of peppermint oil, and you can place peppermint oil-soaked cotton clothes in the small openings of your property to make these pests away.
Similarly, the pungent smell of onions and garlic makes rats stay away, and you can keep onion and garlic pieces in the opening of your property. It is important that you replace the onion every second day. You can prepare an ammonia spray and apply it to areas where rodents hide. The smell of ammonia suffocates and makes them run away from your property.
Conclusion
As soon as you see traces of rodent infestation at your property, try to evade them with these natural methods. Often, ignorance can lead you to pay hefty prices, including property damage, rodent-transmitted diseases, etc. Your vigilance and proactive measures can save your health and wealth.
