Rat Alert: Autumn Tips for Dealing with Rodents

Rodent infestations have long been due cause to call the exterminators, Jacksonville, Florida residents. Colder weather means more mice and rats scrabbling to somewhere warm, and that usually means your home! And beyond being the cause of many bouts of panicked screaming, rats and mice are a legitimate threat to your family’s health. They can be vectors for many diseases and signs of their tampering with a bag of food is more than enough reason to throw the entire thing out. They also have a nasty habit of gnawing on electrical wiring, perhaps induced by the warmth they detect. Electrocuted rats rot in the most remote places, and the smell is a menace all its own. Bottom line: rodents are not welcome at any season. Here are just a couple of ways to keep them out:

Seal up entry points 

Rodents are masters at squirming through holes and cracks that they have no business fitting into. Mice and rats only need enough space for their head to fit through, and they can usually push the rest of their bodies in. Do an active search for cracks, holes, and other spaces they can exploit for entry. In the autumn, this has the added benefit of insulating your home—if you stopper any space a draft can flow in, a rat won’t be getting in through there.

Stop the buffet

If you can eat it, the rats can too. Human homes are veritable banquets for rats and mice, with an abundance of food that just mysteriously litter the floor and shelves! Make the effort to keep food sealed in secure containers, preferably ones that the pests can’t chew through. Be extra careful with preparing and eating food. Taking the extra step towards cleanliness isn’t just something to keep the mice away; it’s just a good thing to do overall!

As you may have already noticed, taking steps to keep rodents away has other benefits. In the end, the persistent little pests can just get in anyway. If a rat infestation is unavoidable, feel free to call pest control services, Jacksonville, Florida home owners.