Termites might be able to do more structural damage than rodents, but nothing can match the sheer volume of damage caused by rodents all across the world. Here are some helpful ways to ensure that you keep rats out of your crawlspace for good.
Doing regular inspections is a great first step in multiple home maintenance goals. Checking around the home’s perimeter can ensure that you catch problems early and prevent future issues from occurring.
Seal up any entry points into the crawlspace
Entry points generally come in the following areas but could be just about anything. Look for areas of rotting wood, and watch out especially for underneath decks as they are difficult to access, have low lighting, and are prime areas for rodents to enter your home. Check and seal up and broken vent screens into the crawlspace, look for burrows around the foundation and fill them with concrete. Inspected under your siding to ensure that there aren’t gaps. And make sure that your crawlspace hatch fits tightly to the house.
Remove harborage/nesting areas around home
Brush, ivy, bushes, and plants provide perfect protection for rodent. Rodents are afraid of open spaces so they are most likely to stay hiding under brush for safety. If you have bushes touching your home it would be a good idea to cut them back. Same goes with any climbing plants, vines, or bushes. Make sure trees are properly trimmed away from the house, and beware of sheds, woodpiles, and misc debris that lean up against the house. Your goal should be to have the foundation of your home clear so rodents want to stay far away.
Remove food sources around home exterior
Removing food sources is a very important long term factor in controlling a rodent population. Sometimes you can’t control the situation (i.e. if a neighbor has a food source next door and they’re unwilling to change their ways), but do what you can. Chicken coops are a big problem, especially in the city where there are lots of places to hid nearby. Bird feeders similarly can cause issues. Gardens with fresh veggies, and ever fruit trees can cause problems if not kept in check. Lastly ensure that your dumpster or garbage can is kept closed to prevent rats from eating it. Sometimes you decide that you don’t want to remove the food source (i.e. chicken coops) and you’d rather fight the rats. This is a perfectly acceptable choice, just go into it with your eyes open that it will be an ongoing issue.
Preventative maintenance
As we mentioned above, sometimes the food source cannot be controlled and you decided to instead just have an ongoing maintenance. We recommend doing rodent bait stations with a low or non-toxic rodent bait, or using snap traps outside. You can also work had to control the various food sources mentioned above as much as possible. If rodents can’t get an easy meal at your home then they are much more likely to move elsewhere closer to the food source. We offer quarterly and month maintenance plans that include rodents.
Regular inspections are an important part of the success of any pest control plan. Doing this at least annually will save you a lot of trouble in the long haul. If you have any questions call or text us anytime at 503-985-6523.