Controlling Rodents
Everyone must remember that the only way to permanently eliminate rodents is by taking away food, water, and shelter.
Sanitation is the first step:
Rodent populations can be drastically reduced by eliminating rubbish piles, lumber piles, boxes, stacked firewood, high vegetation, and abandoned vehicles. Properly maintain garbage containers with tight covers. Remember rodents like the same food your pets like, spilled or surplus feed must be eliminated.
Rodentproofing or vent stoppage:
Structural details must be changed to keep rodents out of buildings. Openings as small as a 1/2 inch square will admit young rats. Likely entranceways are holes around plumbing, unscreened dryer vents, cracked siding, air-conditioning tubing, and damaged attic vent screens. All exterior openings larger than 1\2 inch should be sealed with cement, caulk, steel wool, hardware cloth or sheet metal. Also periodically inspect property for any new openings.
Reducing rodent populations:
Though other methods exist we use, trapping, glue boards, and poison baits.
- Trapping is practical when poison bait might be hazardous; also it prevents the possibility of dead rodent odors. We loan out live cage traps, but homeowners can purchase simple snap traps. These are easy to use and can be baited with peanut butter.
- Glue Boards are non-toxic sticky traps. They should be placed in active runways with some type of bait. Rodents must be killed and disposed of. These are well suited for public areas such as schools or food handling establishments.
- Poison Baits
- Single Dose - Killing success with single dose poisons depends on the rodent consuming a lethal dose at one feeding.
- Multiple Dose - must be consumed for several days, which provides a margin of safety for children and animals. It is possible for a large single dose to be fatal. Remember no toxic bait is 100 % effective.
