Fall is in full force and winter is just around the corner, in fact, it feels as though it is already here. With the dropping temperatures, rodents such as mice and rats are beginning to seek shelter in our homes and businesses. These pests can not only cause structural damage by chewing through drywall, insulation, wood and electrical wiring, which greatly increases the potential risk for fires, but they also bring major health and hygiene concerns such as bacterial diseases, infections and more.
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While many of us try “DIY” pest solutions to keep mice and rats out of our living spaces, Wil-Kil Pest Control explains that some of these strategies don’t solve your pest problems at their root, only alleviating the problem temporarily, or simply don’t work at all.
Please see below for a list of “DIY Rodent Fails” that Wil-Kil suggests avoiding this fall/winter, and what to do instead.
“DIY Rodent Control” Fails:
Fail #1: Baiting a mousetrap with cheese – Mice actually prefer peanut butter or seeds rather than cheese.
Fail #2: Placing a few traps and hoping for the best – The key to eliminating mice is to place multiple traps in the affected area as well as to stop them from getting inside in the first place. Be sure to seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home that may allow them to get in.
Fail #3: Relying on a cat for rodent control: Not all cats will chase and eat mice and rats, nor will they stop them from getting in your house in the first place. It is important to seal cracks and holes that may be letting pests in instead of relying on a family pet to solve the problem.
Fail #4: Installing “ultrasonic” electronic pest repellent – These simply do not work. While it’s possible for them to keep rodents away in the short term, they are not an effective measure of getting rid of rodents long term.
Fail #5: Using mothballs, dryer sheets or other scented repellents such as peppermint oil – While mice are sensitive to smell, these scents will not generally be strong enough to repel them. Peppermint oil, for instance, will not repel mice. These things may be enough to keep them out of a small closet, but not an entire room.
Fail #6: Randomly placing multiple snap traps around the house – Snap traps scattered about go against a mouse’s natural habits. They like to travel straight paths along walls and cabinets that create a 90-degree angle with the floor/counter etc. A trap should be at a 90-degree angle to the wall, with the snap side facing the wall, in areas where you see signs of rodents such as droppings or chewed boxes.
Fail #7: Try to trap rats like mice – Rats and mice are very different. Mice are naturally curious, so they will investigate things like snap traps that can lead to their demise. However, rats are afraid of things that are new, so they will avoid snap traps or any other traps you may try to use. Rats are best caught using “pre-baiting,” or feeding them from the trap before setting it.
So, what can you do?
As you can tell with some of these common DIY rodent control methods, their main fault is their inability to help in preventing rodent problems. The most successful course of treatment in these cases is prevention, rather than alleviating the symptoms of the problem.
Wil-Kil Pest Control is available to educate viewers/readers on the proper ways to deal with and prevent mice and rats. Wil-Kil’s experts have extensive knowledge and tools to provide demonstrations on proper pest control methods, and why they are more effective than the “DIY Fails”.
Don’t suffer any longer from mice problems – give us a call.