How Pests May Be Sneaking Into Your Home
Your doorbell rings, but no one is there. Perhaps your mother-in-law is lying on the door mat again, to be funny. (If she only knew.) Then you see the little suitcases lined up along the sidewalk.
It’s that time of year. The weather is changing and, like persistent relatives, there are small living beings that instinctively know that your home will be warm as winter moves in our direction.
Over-wintering creatures can easily get in, but not normally through the front door. House mice wiggle in through a quarter-inch space; roof rats squeeze through a half-inch space.
Evidence that you have unwanted guests includes droppings, fresh gnaw marks, shredded bedding, damaged materials, and partially eaten food. You might not see rats or mice during the day; they are shy and prefer to move at night. With rats, you might hear noises in the walls or attic. There will be remnants of nests in your little-used closets, garage, or woodpile. There may be garden damage. As soon as mice and rats discover your garden, they will set their sights on indoors.
Managing rodent populations may be daunting. Rodents reproduce frequently and the population surges with each generation. They contaminate food and animal feed. They create structural damage by gnawing, nesting, and bodily functions. There is a constant battle of sanitation, rodent proofing, and population control to manage an infestation.
Sanitation must be consistent and continuous. Store building materials such as crates, boxes, and barrels off the ground to help stop accessibility and dissuade rodents from moving in. Collect and contain garbage and garden debris frequently. Pet food, bird feeders, and chicken feed should be contained at night and stored in rodent-proof containers.
Rodent proofing is the most successful and long-lasting way to keep them out. Seal any crack or opening larger than a quarter of an inch, from the top to the bottom of your home. Use coarse steel wool, wire screens, or sheet metal to block access. Make sure doors and windows fit correctly and tightly.
Trapping is the safest and most effective tool, especially indoors. Knowing where to place the trap is more important than the type of snap trap. Just as you would not go big game hunting with one bullet or one arrow, the more traps the better. Choose secluded areas that are natural pathways, like along walls or, for roof rats, well-traveled limbs of trees. Screw or wire traps into place by drilling a hole into the trap itself. Place the trap where the animal will step directly on the trap trigger. Along the wall, place your traps in pairs facing opposite directions to capture movements coming and going. Set your traps 10 to 20 feet apart. In placing traps, be mindful of children and pets. Some traps may need to be enclosed in boxes with small openings.
Baiting traps is equally important. Make the bait difficult to remove by securing it to the trap trigger with thread, string, fine wire, or even glue. Soft foods, like cheese or peanut butter, are easy to steal while not setting off the trap. Attaching dried fruit, nutmeats, bacon, or kibbled pet food will be inviting and easy to secure. Set the trap where it is sensitive and will spring with little effort.
Beware, it will not be long before the doorbell rings and the little suitcases are on your sidewalk.
Additional information from the University of California Pest Notes for rats and mice (publications 74106 and 7483) will greatly assist you in moving these problems from your home.
Julie Silva is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener of Tuolumne County.
