Getting Away for the Summer? Don’t Come Home to a Rodent Infestation
- Posted by haggerty
- On August 1, 2013
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Getting away for a long-awaited vacation is a pleasure and coming home should be, too. If you’re greeted by a rodent infestation, however, you’ll probably feel like getting away again ASAP.
The truth is, rodents are timid. Given the choice, they’ll avoid human contact as much as possible. So there’s nothing like a quiet, unoccupied home with the human occupants far away that encourages mice and rats to move in and set up housekeeping.
Before getting away for some well-deserved R & R, here are a number of steps you can take to make your house unattractive to rodents while you’re gone. If they manage to make themselves at home anyway, remember that your qualified pest control provider is ready with professional treatments to resolve the problem.
- Locate entry points such as holes and gaps in the structure that allow rodents to come inside. Seal them both outside and inside. Small holes can be plugged with steel wool, while larger openings should be permanently closed with wood or some other patching material.
- Put out traps inside to remove any rodents that may already be on the premises before you leave. Mice and rats can multiply rapidly when left alone in an empty house.
- Make sure you don’t leave out any encouragements such as a food supply or water inside the house or in the landscape outdoors.
When you get home, be alert to any signs that a rodent infestation has occurred in your absence.
- Look for rodent droppings in cabinets and drawers or under the sink.
- Unexplained shredded paper, fabric or plant material may indicate that a nesting site has been established.
- Note any signs of chewed or gnawed dried food containers in cabinets.
- Any changes to the house that occurred while you were gone, such as storm damage, may have provided access to rodents.
Haggerty Pest Service offers rodent infestation prevention and control to Palm Beach and Broward County homeowners. Before getting away this summer, ask us for more advice on rodent-proofing your house so your return will be as relaxing as your time away.
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