Rats and mice are pretty sneaky creatures. They are small nocturnal animals that explore for food predominantly at night and have the ability to squeeze through the smallest of holes in walls, under cabinets and through holes in subfloors in an effort to find a good food source.

So before you start hearing signs of rodents in your roof void, wall voids and/or kitchen, consider the reasons why you do not want rodents in your home, apart from the cringe factor, and what steps you can take to prevent them from coming into your home in the first place.

Reasons why you should stop rodents from entering your home:

Rodents can be a nuisance and can make a real pest of themselves when they make their way into your home:

• They chew electrical wiring that could possibly create an electrical short and a possible fire risk in your home;
• They chew into wood structures that can create long term damage to your home;
• They chew their way into walls and sometimes though a wall into the house;
• They create an unpleasant smell as a result of their urine and droppings left everywhere;
• They could spread disease when coming into contact with your food and food preparation areas;

The mission of any homeowner should be to rodent proof your home by conducting regular checks around the home to make sure there are no possible entry points for rodents. In Australia we also know that peak rodent season is through the winter months, so it is important to consider doing these checks around your home between January and March each year.

Rodent Proofing Suggestions For Your Home

When checking around your home each year, look out for these possible weaknesses around the home to keep those rodents at bay:

Subfloor proofing:

If your home has a subfloor space, make sure access doors are always kept closed and if there are gaps in the outer boards seal the board gaps with chicken wire if possible and practical.

Gaps and holes into the home:

Make sure there are no gaps leading into the home from outside, these are usually plumbing pipes or smaller access points left over time. If there are, seal these off with appropriate materials or consult a tradie.

Overhanging trees:

Cut back any tree branches that are hanging over the roof line. Rodents like climbing trees to gain access to the house from overhanging branches. Trees are common access points for rodents when activity is noticed in the roof void.

Pet food:

If you do have pets and feed them outside, bring their food bowls in overnight to make sure rodents do not find themselves a convenient and consistent food source.

Wood and building rubble piles:

If there are large piles of wood and/or building rubble lying around the property these should be considered as potential breeding grounds for rodents. If they cannot be removed rodent control measures should be put down to prevent rodents from establishing a nest in these piles.

Sometimes it is not possible to stop rodents from entering the home or nesting near your home. This is where the professional pest controller comes in. Pest-Zap has substantial experience in Melbourne’s Eastern and Northern suburbs. We spend time with the home owner or tenant to investigate the extent of the problem and utilise the latest commercial baiting solutions to ensure an effective result.

Pest-Zap also provides detailed advice on proofing measures that need to be conducted around the home to prevent future possible rodent entry. This combined with an annual treatment plan, before rodent season, provides the best results in ensuring that rodents do not nest and make a nuisance of themselves around and inside your home.