Winter is here in Calgary and colder temperatures are here to stay for the next several months. If you aren’t careful, you may find yourself with a few entra house guests. Protecting your home from rodents does not always require professional help from an exterminator. There are several ways you can help keep rodents and other critters from becoming pests! We have listed 6 tips below:
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- Seal Off Points of Entry- One of the most effective ways to keep rodents out of your home is to seal off any places that give them access inside. Mice are very good at squeezing their body into very small gaps. A good gauge is using a nickel and closing off any openings that are larger than that. We also suggest checking all of the places where pipes enter your home and seeing if there are gaps around the entry point. You can fill the space with mesh and caulking. The same technique can be used with cracks in walls or foundation – sealing with a wire mesh and caulking. Lastly, you’ll want to check screen doors for tears to ensure there are no holes for mice to squeeze through.
- Keep Your Firewood Away – Who doesn’t love a nice warm fire in the winter to keep you toasty? You still can enjoy the crackling of the wood but it’s best to keep your stockpile away from your home and not restings up against one of its sides. As well, you’ll also want to elevate your pile above the ground – at least a foot and a half. Mice love to hideout in the piles of wood so keeping it above the ground deters them from using it as a nesting place.
- Use a Weather Stripping for Doors – Blocking off small gaps at the base of exterior doors is another great tool to use to ensure there are no small holes for mice to enter your home. As we all know Calgary has chilly winters so this can also help prevent unwanted drafts as well!
- Keep Food Sealed – Not only do you not want to allow mice entry into your home, you also don’t want to feed them. So it’s important to keep countertops and other surfaces clear of food, crumbs, and residue. Mice are known for nibbling their way through cardboard and plastic bags to access stored goods, so you can prevent this by keeping food in sealed containers. Homeowners can often forget about their pet food, a mouse fan favourite. Remember to keep food sealed tightly and if you have mice issues in your home, do not free feed pets or leave pet food out for mice to easily access.
- Stay Organized – Mice love to be among clutter, it makes for a great nesting and hiding place. They also like quiet spaces like basements, furnace rooms, and garages. Keep piles of newspapers, clothes, and boxes up off the floor or cleared out.
- Keep your yard tamed – Before the Calgary winter settles in, it’s important to keep your yard maintained. Trim any branches that are hanging close to your home to prevent squirrels from jumping onto your roof and potentially accessing your attic. Remove leaf piles and overgrown bushes to keep hiding spots to a minimum. As well, don’t let your grass grow too long as it can also make your home more tempting for mice.
If you do find yourself dealing with mice or other rodents, it’s important to call a licensed pest management professional like Absolute Pest Control to help address the rodent problems effectively and efficiently. You can schedule your free home inspection or find out more information by calling 403-238-7400 or email us at info@apcpestfree.com. We have been proudly servicing the greater Calgary area with all of their pest control needs for over 20 years!
Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay
Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay
