Contrary to popular belief,
Janis Reed has been the training director at ABC Pest and Lawn Service in Austin, Texas, for five years. ABC Pest and Lawn has been in the pest control business since 1949. Reed is one of the many experts that will tell homeowners that preventing mice and rats from getting in the home initially is half the battle.
"There are a lot of home remedies for rodents," she said. "And in most cases, they are completely ineffective. In my opinion, the only proper way to control rats and mice is to make it impossible for them to get into your structure."
The main purpose of mice and rats is to find food and shelter. By cutting off the entrances to a house to keep them from the necessary food and shelter they need, this should greatly reduce or eliminate the amount of rodents in the home. In addition to pest companies, Reed said that there are several who can help in this project.
"There are a lot of companies that can give you advice on how to keep mice out of your home," she said. "For example, construction companies and roofer are great at helping to keep them out of the house."
While construction and roofing companies can be beneficial when attempting to keep rodents out of the home, no company can be more effective than those that deal directly with rodents. These companies understand how the rodent thinks and should be able to provide a more extensive home process.
"Our company has a service known as enclosure exclusion," Reed said. "And it's nothing more than what it says. We send a specialized technician in, and they go to the house to find all the possible entry points that rodents can use. Then they will seal them up using no pesticides at all. It's a trapping exclusion only."
The enclosure exclusion is also very popular among homeowners as it reduces the amounts of pesticides that will be sprayed in or around the house. Eliminating the chemicals that come along with pesticides is a great way to ensure the safety of your children and pets while giving them a rodent-free home.
And lastly, one of the most important tips to remember about rodents is cleanliness. As stated before, rodents are attracted to food and shelter. So, homeowners should always be aware of areas of their home that are in dire need of cleaning. Other tips involve storing food in a dry area, cleaning out pet bowls at night and cleaning under stoves and refrigerators.
"Also use sanitation," Reed added. "Remove what they can live in and around your home. If you can't keep them out, find where they're getting in and close it up."
