Did you know that in California there are almost as many rodents as there are humans? Mice and rats are unwelcome visitors in many homes, and with such a high population in the United States, the odds of encountering these pests is no small matter.

The most important part of controlling rodent populations around your home is understanding mice and rat habits so you can reduce your chances of unintentionally harboring them. Since female rodents can produce multiple litters a year, you should stay on top of rodent control throughout the year.

Here at Joshua’s, we inspect for rodent activity on every quarterly visit so we can act quickly if anything is discovered. If you do have a mice or rat problem, we often begin by placing traps and/or exterior bait stations. Safety is our #1 concern, so all bait stations are locked and weighted to ensure they are tamper resistant to young children or pets.

We also advise customers to make their home as undesirable to rodents as possible. Our advice is based largely on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a system in which we inspect the property, determine preventive actions, identify problems and provide treatment and monitoring of the issue for long-term control.

Rodents are hoping to find 3 main things on your property:

• Shelter: overgrown bushes and trees
• Water: pools or water fountains
• Food: vegetable gardens and fruit trees

Rodent activity is also known to be higher for those who live close to nature preserves, golf courses, or canyons due to the large amount of land where they are free to nest and forage for resources. Of course having these features on your property make it a great space to enjoy with family or entertain friends, but making sure these areas provide as little harborage as possible will help deter rodents from residing in your yard in the first place.

How else can you reduce harborage areas?

Proper storage techniques. Store items up and off from the ground in sealed plastic containers so rodents have a harder time getting inside and building nests.

Seal foundation voids. Homes built on raised foundations can be particularly appealing to rodents, and they can easily gain entry to crawl spaces through any unsealed gaps or cracks. Rodents only need an entry point around the size of your thumbnail to be able to squeeze through. Caulk any open gaps to rodent-proof your foundation.

Trim back trees. Tree limbs overhanging—or even touching—the roof of your home, garage, or porch provide easy access for rodents to invade, acting as a highway for them to walk along. Keep tree limbs trimmed back to prevent these critters for coming inside.

At Joshua’s, we’re committed to solving your rodent problems as quickly and easily as possible so you can take back your yard and enjoy your home!

By Genna F.
Moxie Office Expert