It’s a Friday night and you’re exhausted from the week. You slump on your couch and you’re ready to chill over the weekend but lo and behold, you see a tail disappear under the coffee table. You might be experiencing a rodent problem. 

What are rodents exactly? Simply put, they are mammals found everywhere. They can either be mice, rats or squirrels even and are oftentimes called pests due to the damages and diseases they can cause. They are known to like nesting in walls and destroying insulation. Their teeth are little gnawers they use on chewing wires and may cause even further damages than simple structure and fixtures. On top of that, they are also known to be huge carriers of diseases. From their dirty little paws and claws that help spread bacteria, they can also contaminate food and water with their own waste and saliva. These rodents also host fleas which are other bringers of sickness. Sure enough, you need to get rid of them and keep them away from your house, especially the walls, for good. We got you. Here is your ultimate guide to keeping your home free of mice, rats and other unwanted rodents.

Now that we know what rodents are and why we don’t want them anywhere in the house, we should know why and how they come in. Of course, like any other living creature, rodents like to look for sources of food and water. They also like to look for shelter thus, the walls. These mammals have a pretty short lifespan unless given a favorable living condition. The solution to address this problem sounds pretty easy. We just have to stop being hospitable to them, right? Now how do we do that? First, we clean.

Clean houses don’t necessarily mean that you’re never getting an unwanted guest. But it’s also always better to have a clean environment giving you less chances of an infestation. Cleaning doesn’t just mean sweeping and wiping everything clean. It also means tracking and locating where these rodents have entered the house and see where they nested. You can easily track them through their waste droppings that are small, bean-shaped and colored brown to black. You can also check for the smell of stale urine that they excrete. Another way is to listen for scratch and squeaky noises on the walls of the house. Once you’ve tracked and found these areas, clean and disinfect them immediately. 

Once disinfected, patch up and fix all the holes and damages these rodents have caused. Make sure to seal everything, up to the littlest cracks, crevices and holes. Check on pipes and other utilities inside the house that may have an entrance through outside or under the house. 

You’ve already made them feel unwelcome. It’s time to check if there’s any left in the house and shoo them away. 

Set up traps in all areas in the house. You can opt to set up humane traps like PETA’s suggestion to use a 50-gallon drum and lure them with oatmeal and peanut butter. Yes, contrary to popular belief, rodents, specifically rats and mice like peanut butter better than they do cheese. Areas to consider to set up traps in especially are in the kitchen and in the attic. 

Another homemade housekeeping solution is to make your own natural repellents. You can sprinkle pepper and chili pepper powders near or by the openings or possible entrances you’ve sealed in the case that there’s still a guest in your house and it might sneak away through those entrances. Rodents are known to be repulsed by the smell of peppers. You can also use essential oils like peppermint and citronella. Spread an ample amount of said oils on areas you think they might be hiding in, to drive them out and away from the house. You can also buy moth balls, in the case you don’t want to make repellents yourself, and place them on the same areas.

It’s good to check the area outside your house for possible bridges for rodents to enter the house. You’ve already sealed all possible openings, check on trees and plants that stand too close to your windows. They can also enter through those. 

In the case that you don’t just have a couple of guests, but an actual infestation in the walls and under the house, it’s always better to call for professional pest control services. It might cost you a fortune, but an infestation is not a do-it-yourself job. Professional pest control services can either be a one-time management or a yearly process depending on how huge the infestation is. Of course, the cost will also depend on how long the management and process will run. 

Another way to keep your home free of rodents, and this might actually be a fun option, is to get a wanted furry friend. Cats and dogs have a natural instinct to hunt down rodents. They can easily smell and trace if there’s still one in the house, whether it be in the kitchen or in the walls. If you see your new pet pawing on corners of the house, best to check it out. However, rodents can also fight back when being cornered so you should find a way to protect your furry friend too while keeping your house free of rodents. Since pets would also definitely hate and be repelled by your pest repellents, maybe you should try something safer for you both. 

Pest controls can be costly and repetitive. Keeping rodents away from the house, specifically out of the walls shouldn’t be as hard and expensive if you use an ultrasonic pest repeller. It might even be the easiest do-it-yourself solution. All you have to do is plug it in. Try HomeShielders’ Plug2Repel Ultrasonic Pest Repellent. It’s eco friendly, humane, and a whole lot easier than spraying and spreading pepper all over the house. Not to mention, it will also be 100% safer for your new, and wanted, furry friend. For more information about the device, you may visit our product page.