Effective Rodent Control Methods

Like all industries, pest control is constantly evolving. New methods are being discovered for preventing and removing rodents. What’s great is that these methods are becoming more and more effective as time goes on. But what are the latest effective rodent control methods and how can homeowners implement them?

Prevention is better than cure

What you must first understand is that prevention is always better than cure. Don’t think about effective rodent control methods, focus on keeping them out in the first place. To start with you need to stop attracting the rodents into your home. This means you have to keep your home spotless, and especially your kitchen.

Clean up at the end of every day, deal with rubbish and make sure all food is securely stored. This is really the reason why so many homes have rodent problems. Most people don’t realise that even the smallest food particles can attract mice or rats. They slack in their cleaning efforts or store food incorrectly and this is why they eventually develop this problem.

Next, you need to seal up the perimeter of your building. This means there should be no cracks, holes, or entrance points for rodents. This can be challenge in older buildings. The older your home is, the more likely that there are entrance points for rodents.

How to use traps so that they work

Finally, the most effective rodent control methods are still traps. Humans have used rodent traps for centuries, and traps are still highly effective. In fact, when set up properly, traps can be absolutely effective against rodents. The key word here being properly.

But how do you set up traps correctly? First of all, they need to be placed in the right area. Don’t leave traps in places rodents do not venture. For example, the best place for a trap is alongside walls. This is because rodents usually run alongside walls. Another good idea is to put your traps inside a shoebox with holes in it. This arouses the rodents curiosity. They go inside the box and are caught.

Here’s another insider tip. You need to earn the trust of rats before you can catch them. When encountering something new, like a new object, rats will usually avoid it. This means they often avoid traps. What you need to do is leave the trap unset with food in it. Do this for a couple of nights. This way the rodents get used to the trap. After a week or so, start setting the trap. You can also leave food just in front of the trap for a few nights, so they get used to coming to that area.

Also pay attention to the bait you’re using. The best bait is food which has a strong smell. Rodents mostly use their noses to navigate, so the stronger the smell the better the bait. In our experience, peanut butter, nuts or sunflower seeds are great choices.