Rat and mice control options
It should be noted that every country on the planet has mice and rats. The majority of mice and rats do live outdoors, but there are three species that will live with humans.
Those three species are the house mouse, Norway rat and roof rat. These three species can be found in Georgia.
When rodents stay outdoors, there is normally no issues except for an occasional rise in snake numbers on the property when you have a high rodent population.
When mice for example choose to call your dwelling their home also, problems can arise. Today, I will be sharing tips on how to keep these species out of your home and options on how to control these rodents if they do make it indoors. I will be sharing information from a UGA publication by Dr. Mike Mengak, UGA Wildlife Specialist.
Why is it important to keep mice and rats out of your house? These rodents can carry disease for starters. In addition, mice and rats can spoil food items and can consumer your crops, stored grain, birdseed and pet food according to our UGA information. Mice and rats can also get into your trash and their droppings and urine can be unsightly and give off a bad odor. In addition, mice and rats can carry fleas and ticks.
You can find mice and rats in a variety of places such as garbage cans and dumpsters. Rodents can consume about anything. Mengak states that mice and rats can eat grain, seeds, nuts, meat, candy, processed cereal, fruit and pet foods for example. Mice and rats normally will hide during the day and become more active at night. Many folks have heard the gnawing or scratching sounds in walls or attics by rodents in the bedtime hours.
It should be noted that if you see one rodent, there are many more that you have not seen. Mice and rats normally stay close to their home. In fact, information states that Norway rats may spend their entire life in an area 100-150 feet in diameter. What do these rodents look like? Mice are small and about 3 inches long not including the tail.
House mice will have a naked tail and native mice have a slightly furry tail. Rats on the other hand are larger. Rats can be up to a foot in length not including the tail. Roof rats as you can tell by their name are great climbers. In fact, in a livestock facility I witnessed a roof rat go from a cement floor, up a wall and to the facility ceiling that was about 80 feet high in a matter of seconds. It was one of the most athletic displays that I have seen in a while. Norway rats normally do not climb.
They can be large and can weigh more than one pound. If you have a rat issue, do your identification homework. You can have rodent issues at any time of year, but cold weather may cause some rodents to come indoors for weather protection. Keep in mind that mice and rats can actually enter your home through openings as small as a dime per Mengak. Closing entry holes is a great way to prevent mice and rats from entering structures.
One tip is to keep patio and garage doors closed. You can even seal the openings under doors. Windows should be covered with proper screens. Even keep floor drains tightly sealed. It is even suggested to cement or caulk around pipes and wires. Again, use a recommended sealant in these situations. Small holes and cracks can be sealed with steel wool and then caulked over. Cover clothes dryer vents properly and safely and you MUST allow for adequate airflow.
You also MUST clean the dryer vents regularly to avoid lint build-up that could be a dangerous FIRE HAZARD. Many people probably already have clothes dryer vent covers, but I wanted to remind of potential fire hazard dangers due to lint build-up so again, clean the vents regularly and cover vents correctly. In the outdoors, mice and rats can make burrows. It is suggested to fill in their burrows with rocks and dirt. If the burrows are dug back out, this is a sign that you still have active mice and rats in that burrow.
Taking away mice and rat food options can keep them out of the home. One tip is to keep garbage in correctly sealed cans. I would also keep pet food in a sealed can or container. When you do feed your dogs and cats, feed them in a dish and take up unconsumed food and even wash the dish. If you have bird feeders, it is suggested that a squirrel guard may reduce mice and rats eating from the feeder, but will not stop them from eating birdseed that falls on the ground.
Another tip is to remove their homes. This means to remove any place where mice and rats can hide and reproduce. You should remove trash, old boards, weeds, brush piles, rock piles, firewood and other debris from the home, garage and property if the ultimate goal is to reduce the mice and rats.
Many people use firewood to heat homes. If you do, don’t pile wood against the home and store firewood at least 1 foot off the ground.