making your house a home

To Prevent Rodents From Entering Your Home, Look Outside Your House

25 January 2016

Alide Oortwijn

The most effective method of rodent control is prevention. If critters can't get into your home, then the damage they are able to cause is greatly diminished. Many preventative measures focus on physically preventing mice, rats and other rodents from entering a house, but there are also steps you can take when landscaping your home to deter rodents from coming indoors. Here's how you can reduce the risk of rodents entering your home by making adjustments to a few things in the yard.

Relocate Stacked Firewood Away from Your House

If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, your stacked firewood is a haven of nooks and crannies for mice and other rodents. It should be kept away from your home, so any critters who take up residence in your firewood don't find an easy, short path indoors.

At the same time, however, no one wants to walk far for firewood, especially in the cold and snow of winter. Thus, your firewood should also be in an easily accessible location, which tends to be a place near your home.

When looking for a place to stack your firewood, you should search out a location that's a little ways from your home yet easy to walk to. SFGate recommends finding a location that's about 30 feet from your house, as this is both a safe and convenient distance.

Keep Bird Feeders Away from Your Home

Bird seed attracts rodents along with birds. Even if you have a bird feeder that prevents rodents from accessing the seeds inside the feeder, mice, squirrels and chipmunks may forage underneath the feeder for dropped seeds and empty hulls.

To prevent rodents that are foraging for seeds from coming in your home, you should place your bird feeder away from your house. Look for a location that's within view of a window but far enough that critters won't be too tempted to come inside while eating. As with firewood piles, 30 feet from your house is probably a good distance.

Clean Your Grill After Barbecuing

Rats aren't as attracted to bird feeders as smaller rodents are, but rats will search out grills. Enticed by the smells of meats and spilled juices, rats may come to your grill searching for a tasty meal. Even if they don't find one, they may decide to take up residence inside if there's an easy way in.

To stop rats from coming to your grill, clean it after you finish barbecuing. If there isn't any meat left behind and no fats remain in the area, rats will be less likely to come by, because there won't be any odors to entice them.

Trim Tree Branches Over Your House

Rodents, especially squirrels, often use tree branches as highways, running from one branch to another. If there are branches that hang over your home, they could provide a highway onto your roof and into your attic. If acorns or leaves are falling on your roof, squirrels could easily jump onto it.

To prevent squirrels from easily accessing your roof, trim back trees near your home. Depending on the height and location of trees, you may need to hire a professional tree service to do this. Paying to cut a tree back now, though, could save you from paying for rodent control service later.

When it comes to rodent control, the best strategy is prevention. Taking proactive steps to prevent mice, rats, squirrels and chipmunks from entering your home is much easier than getting rid of them once they come in. Take a look around your home's yard and see which tips you might use to reduce the risk of a rodent entering your home.

If you already have a rodent infestation, contact a pest control company like Greenleaf Organic Pest Management for help ridding your home of rodents.

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