If you’re a homeowner, you know that there’s always a possibility of a rodent infestation. Any type of infestation can quickly turn into a costly ordeal if not handled correctly. Worse, it can put you and your family’s health at risk by exposing you to contagious diseases and other parasites.
Sadly, we’re all at risk for a rodent infestation, no matter how new or clean a home may be. So, let’s look at what attracts rodents to your home and then you may want to consider that Pest Free USA brings you electronic rodent repellent to assist with infestations and keep rodents at bay.
3 Reasons Rodents Are Attracted to Your Home
1. Sanitation Issues
One reason for an infestation could be poor sanitation. Besides health concerns, poor sanitation can also result in easy access to water and food sources for mice and rats, encouraging them to set up nests in your house.
Typically, rodents are associated with unhygienic spaces, which could be the case if you have bits of rubbish scattered around. Rodents are scavengers by nature and will happily invade a space in search for food and somewhere safe to breed.
They’re also attracted to sources of water. So, if you have an outdoor swimming pool or you leave pet’s water bowls out, you may want to move the bowls inside and cover your pool.
2. Seeking Shelter
Rodents seek out shelter for nesting sites. Outside of home, deep mulch and leaf piles are popular attractions. From there, they may start chewing through your home’s siding to get indoors.
What’s more, rats and mice look for secure places to hide from predators, and they can squeeze into really tiny spaces to get into your home. Rats can easily fit into unsealed holes or crack, while mice can squeeze through even smaller spaces.
So, spaces like gas and sewer lines, gaps in windows and even ceilings leave your home vulnerable to invasion.
3. Looking for Safety Around the Home
Firewood piles, especially, are enticing for mice and rats alike. Firewood piles can serve as the perfect shelter for rodents. So, make sure any discarded furniture and other items that could be potential shelter are discarded. Keep in mind rodents may also seek shelter in flowers and shrubs.
Additional Factors
There are plenty of reasons that could make your home more susceptible to a mice or rat infestation. There are also factors that can’t be controlled but need to be dealt with in order to take preventative measures.
Any type of human intervention, such as construction noise, can force rodents to seek better and more secure shelter. A drop in temperatures also plays a role in their behaviour. As the temperatures plummet, so rodent infestations increase as they seek warmer shelter and try to remain in your home for longer.
Finally, a scarcity of food or even an increase in predators can push rodents into your house. These additional factors are all things that are difficult to control, no matter what measures you attempt, which is why it’s important to get in touch with a local pest management company to help eliminate your infestation.