Humane Pest Control Measures For Rodents
Rats and mice are relatively common pests found in residential homes and gardens. Rats typically prefer to nest in the yard, while mice prefer the warm and cosy environment of your home. Rodents can do significant damage to wiring and woodwork, and they can also spread disease, but some householders are reluctant to use pest control methods that are lethal or have the potential to cause suffering. The reasons behind this choice are understandable, but opting for humane pest control methods requires a two-pronged approach to tackle the existing rodent population on your property and deter future populations from setting up in your house or yard. You'll need to be prepared for the process to take longer than it would if a rodent infestation was being eradicated using lethal methods. That said, humane pest control measures can be effective and will also allow you to avoid having chemical-based poisons on your property. Read on to learn about how rodents are detained and removed humanely and what can be done to deter them.
Humane Rodent Removal
Catch and release traps are used to remove rodents from homes and gardens without killing them. These traps require bait to be used to entice the rat or mouse to enter the trap. When the bait is taken, the door of the trap is triggered and will close. Each catch and release trap can only house one rodent at a time, so you may need several of these around your property. Being confined in one of these traps could be stressful for a mouse or rat, so it's important the traps are checked several times a day. Before releasing a rodent from a catch and release trap, a pest control professional should check to determine whether it's a lactating female, which would indicate there is a nest nearby with young that will have to be found before they starve.
Deterring Rodents From Your Property
A pest control professional can also assess your property and determine where rodents are entering and what's attracting them. They will then recommend humane ways to deter them, which may include installing draught excluders, sealing gaps around pipes and covering vents with rodent-safe mesh. You should also keep floors are surfaces free of crumbs, and food, such as oats, bread and cereal, should be stored in rodent-proof containers. Outdoors, you can deter rats from nesting in your garden by thinning out shrubs, clearing away piles of wood and mounds of thick vegetation and temporarily removing bird feeders. Certain scents, such as mint and eucalyptus, are said to deter rodents, so consider planting mint around your garden or leaving a few cotton balls dipped in eucalyptus oil around your home.
If you suspect you have a rodent infestation in your home or garden and want to deal with them in a humane way, contact a pest control company, and ask for them to come and assess your property.