Kittitas County Total Rodent Prevention Guide

In our area, there are basically three types of rodents that get into our homes—no, beavers aren't one of them. The common rodent pests we see in Kittitas County homes are mice, rats, and occasionally squirrels. Beavers can't find a suitable environment inside a home, but mice and rats definitely can. Certain mouse and rat species are actually accustomed to living in man-made structures. They've been depending on humans so long, they would have a difficult time surviving in the wild. This is important to understand. House mice and house rats are the worst of all rodents. If these pests get inside, you're going to have a very difficult time convincing them to live somewhere else. The best solution is to stop them before they figure out how wonderful it will be to live in your home with you. Today, we're going to offer up a complete guide to rodent prevention. As you read, remember that you can bypass all the hard work of rodent prevention by reaching out to Prosite for pest control service in Kittitas County. Our trained and experienced technicians have no problem rolling up their sleeves and taking care of this difficult job for you.

Yard Management

The first task that must be accomplished if you want to keep rodents out of your home is to consider what conditions will make rodents feel comfortable in your yard. Mice, rats, and squirrels behave differently, so all of these won't apply to all three, but doing all of them will give you complete coverage.

Food sources must be addressed. If you have trees that produce fruits or nuts, you need to stay on top of clean-up. Fruits and nuts are dietary staples for many rodents.

If you have voids underneath structures, such as a shed or outbuilding, you should use fencing material to prevent rodents from getting underneath and establishing a nest. 
If you have objects in your yard that don't need to be there, these should be stored inside. Rodents may hide under those objects. They are particularly attracted to construction materials, wood piles, leaf piles, brush piles, and any other kinds of pile you can think of.

Perimeter Management

Rodents will move through your yard and eventually find themselves near your exterior walls. This is a key area to consider if you want to prevent these animals from getting inside.

• Trim landscape vegetation, particularly near the base of your plants. This makes your landscaping less inviting to small rodents looking to hide.
• Remove bird feeders, or move them to at least 20 feet from your exterior. Seeds are a primary food source for rodents.
• Move objects that sit on the ground near your home to remove these as hiding places.
• Fence off voids underneath decks, porches, patios, and stairs.
• Trim tree branches so that they don't touch your roofline to prevent rodents from climbing trees and jumping down onto your roof.
• If you put peanuts out to bring squirrels into your yard, you should reconsider. While this may not result in an infestation, it will increase your chances.

Trash Management

Mice and rats are attracted to the scent of garbage. They can smell rotting organic matter from a distance. Keep your trash bagged and in covered containers to hold the smell in. Make sure you get your trash to the curb weekly. If you don't get your trash out on time, make sure to clean and deodorize your containers after the trash goes out the next week.

Exterior Management

When rodents explore your exterior and landscaping, they find ways to get inside your home. Your tools for keeping them out are a caulking gun, expanding foam, wire mesh, and hardware cloth. You may also need to pick up some building materials such as weatherstripping, door sweeps, and screens.

• Make sure your exterior doors are completely sealed all the way around. If you have double doors, you might need to adjust them in order to get a good seal.
• Make sure your utilities are protected. Gaps around pipes and wire conduits are common targets for rodents.
• Put wire mesh in your downspouts. This allows water to pour out and prevents rodents from climbing up.
• Repair or replace all your screens each year.
• If your home has louvers, you may want to install hardware cloth to keep rodents out. Rodents may be able to scale the exterior of your home like they would a tree in your yard.
• Make sure all of your vents are protected with covers.

Traps

When rodent pressures are high, it is sometimes necessary to deploy traps to cull the rodent population. If this is the case for you, contact Prosite for assistance. We use tamper-resistant traps and routinely inspect them to evaluate rodent activity. This is the best way to address higher than normal rodent activity. And, if rodents get into your Kittitas County home, reach out to us for rodent control. We're always standing by to assist you.