The Bay Area's Complete Guide To Effective Rodent Control

Have you seen a brown rat scampering through your yard? Have you noticed a black rat running along your roofline? Did you open the door to your bathroom and see a tiny mouse run along the wall and disappear into a hole you never knew you had? There are many ways you can stumble upon a rodent infestation. When you do, there are a few important things you should know about rodents. If you don't know these facts, you're going to have a very difficult time getting any kind of control over those clever animals. Here's what every Bay Area resident should know about mice and rats.

The House Mouse

There are a few mouse species that could find their way into your Bay Area home. The worst of all mouse species is the house mouse. Why? Because house mice absolutely love living in man-made structures. This makes it difficult to encourage them to live outside—but encourage them, you must. House mice can make you sick and damage your property.

The secret weapon against mice: Food control. Mice eat many times a day. If they go without food for more than six hours, it can force them into torpor. When this happens frequently enough, mice will find another place to live.

Brown Rat or Black Rat

The two rat species we have the most trouble with are Norway rats (brown rats) and roof rats (black rats). Typically, Norway rats live in burrows outside of a home and roof rats live in attic spaces.

The secret weapon against Norway rats: Alter conditions in your yard that Norway rats prefer, such as removing clutter. Norway rats like creating their burrows underneath piles of objects. You'll also want to get control of food options. Move bird feeders away from your home—or remove them altogether. Put bagged trash in covered containers.

The secret weapon against roof rats: Trim tree branches away from your roofline. This is likely to be how roof rats are getting onto your roof and, subsequently, into your attic spaces. Also, insert steel mesh into your downspouts. This will allow water to run out but prevent rats from climbing up to your roof.

Population Control

Mice and rats are clever animals. Really clever. If you hope to get control of the rodents in your home, you need to be ready to apply a complete plan before you start the process of trapping and excluding them. Mice and rats alter their behavior in response to threats. If you manage to capture a few with some spring-loaded traps, it is likely that you've only managed to cull the dumber rodents and, at the same time, educate the smart rodents. This will make your job harder. If you intend to go after mice or rats with traps, be prepared to deploy them all at once with extreme prejudice.

Interior Conditions

Mice and rats, but mice, in particular, can be motivated to leave your home on their own. Here are a few tips to help you accomplish this.

• Put your pantry foods in sealed plastic containers.
• Put dog or cat food in sealed containers.
• Store fruit in your fridge.
• Clean your dishes as you go.
• Put dog or cat food down only during mealtimes and never leave food or water out overnight.
• Eat only in your kitchen or dining room. This will control food sources throughout the rest of your home.

Exclusion

If you have success removing or driving rodents out, the next step is to seal entry points and bolster vulnerabilities. Inspect the exterior of your home and address any potential entry points both low and high. Keep in mind that rodents can climb brick walls and other exterior surfaces and they can jump an impressive distance in the air.

Yard Work

• When you remove leaves, sticks, and other organic yard debris, it can have a big impact on mice and rats, but particularly on Norway rats.
• When you trim your grass, it makes your yard feel less inviting to rodents because they're more exposed as they travel through your yard.
• When you trim bushes and remove unnecessary plants from your landscaping, it makes your landscaping feel more "open" and unappealing to mice and rats.
• When you remove piles of rocks and wood stacks, you remove key hiding places for rodents. It is also a good idea to remove unnecessary man-made objects from your yard.

You Don't Have To Battle Rodents Alone

If rodent pressures are high on your property, or you have a lot of rodents already living inside your home, it is best to hire a licensed pest professional. For assistance in the Bay Area, contact Bay Pest. We use advanced technologies and proven rodent control strategies to get the best results, every time.