How to Prevent Rodents from Infesting Your Home
Rodents are extremely unhealthy to have around in your homes and hearths. They tend to spoil a lot of things around the place. It is best to get some treatment done to do away with this menace. Also, you should follow it up regularly so that no further menace occurs later on due to any damage caused by these pests.
First and foremost, you can keep a cat as a pet in your home. Cats are natural predators of rodents, especially mice. This measure will go a long way in keeping mice away and those which are already there will soon get preyed upon by the cat. Then, one can keep certain substances like mice repellents in and around the house. Place such stuff in and around the corners, inside your cupboards and on food shelves. In this category, first comes mint. Mint leaves can be scattered around. Even mint can be planted and these pots kept on the window sill in the kitchen and in the courtyard. Peppermint or spearmint oil, too, can be sprinkled in and around the house to keep rodents away.
The next best bet is to keep some bay leaves. Stash these away in corners in the kitchen and even other rooms for best effect. There are mothballs available in the market especially made for rodents. However, one has to be careful with these if there are children in the house or if you have kept pets. Accidental ingestion of these will result in more harm than good.
Traps also can be set up for rodents. One can easily pick them up from the market at very cheap rates. After this, one needs to make a bait which can be a ball of kneaded flour or some other similar food item. This has to be kept inside the trap. The mouse will get attracted to the bait and come for it and get trapped in this contraption.
Like they say, prevention is better than cure in most cases. Hence, keep the edible items out of reach. Always ensure that the boxes or containers with food inside them are fit with a lid which is tightly screwed on. Also, the cooked stuff, after it becomes cool should be put inside the refrigerator. Keep your homes and offices uncluttered. If there is less of clutter, there are less chances of the rodents finding a place to hide themselves in. All cupboards should be kept closed at all times. Do not leave them open as if you are giving an invitation card to the rodents to step inside.
Keep your garden as clean as possible. There should be no litter in and around the place which spoils the surroundings. The pet food and bird seed should not be strewn around in the spaces inside or outside of the house. Rats can enter the house from any cracks or holes in the doors or walls. Be sure to have these filled up as soon as is possible.
