First Florida Termite and Pest Control

With the cooler weather that we are having, mice and rats will be looking for a warm place to nest. Unfortunately, this often means our homes. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep them out of your home that doesn’t involve laying out poison and traps. 1) Rodents do not like open areas (especially mice). It makes them vulnerable to predators such as a bird or your cat. They prefer to walk through debris, wood, or anything else it can find leading up to your home. Removing old boxes, piles of wood, old leaves, and any other debris around your house will make it more difficult for them to get in. 2) Trim back trees with branches near the roof to prevent them from jumping on your roof and getting into your attic. 3)Rodents only need a quarter of an inch opening to gain access into your home. If you were to inspect your house you would probably find many small cracks and openings that rats and mice can get into. You can easily close these openings by replacing old screens, patching small holes, using aerosol foam that comes in a can or close the holes with steel wool. 4) Keep an eye out for runways that they use to come in and out. You will be able to recognize the runways because they will most likely have droppings or smudges caused by the oil in their skin. Rodents are creatures of habit and will use these runways constantly. Once you find the runways, you can lay out traps. 5) Rodents, particularly the House Mouse, love nuts and grains (They’re actually not too fond of cheese), so be sure that any food made from these things is sealed in a plastic container. This includes dog food and garden seeds. If a House Mouse can’t find food, it won’t live there.