If not prevented, these animals can cause damage to your home. This means that rodents, once inside your home, could attack your joist, beams, pipes and wiring in order to stay alive. This can, over time, cause severe structural damage. Rodents gnawing on pipes and wiring can also lead to flooding and fires.
How to prevent damage
There are only two ways of preventing or minimizing the damage that rodents can cause to your home. The first way is to prevent gaining entry. The second is to eliminate rodents if they have already found their way inside.
Tips to keep mice, rats, and squirrels out
The key to avoiding having rodents as roommates is to make your home as inhospitable to them as possible. Here is a list of preventive measures to help keep rodents from gaining entry into your home this fall and winter.
- Clean your home regularly, paying special attention to areas like under toasters and refrigerators that can create a food source.
- Clear any refuse garbage or garden plots close to your home.
- Cut back any tree limbs or ivy vines that would allow them to reach the roof or eaves of your home.
- Fix any dripping faucets inside and out to deny rodents an easy water source.
- Inspect the outside of your home, especially around the foundation, and plug any gaps.
- Keep all food (including pet food) in sealed metal, glass or plastic containers.
- Keep your yard free of fallen limbs, leaves, fruits and nuts.
- Make sure your garbage can lid fits securely.
- Stack firewood away from your home and only keep as much as you need.
If you do see a rodent in your home or find their droppings, contact a professional extermination service immediately.