Rodents such as mice and rats in Alabama start looking for warmer, more hospitable homes throughout the fall and winter months. They require a consistent supply of food and water, as well as protection from the elements and predators.

Unfortunately, your home might inadvertently attract more and provide the ideal habitat for these pests. When it comes to rodent control, prevention is the best option. Here are some suggestions for keeping mice out of your house.

Sealing up any gaps or holes in your house is the simplest and most effective approach to keep mice out. Mice and rats can fit through even on the smallest hole in your home. Examine all parts of your home for any possible entry points or access points.

Look inside, under, and behind all kitchen cabinets, the refrigerator, and the stove, and around doors, windows, and floor vents. Examine the pipes beneath sinks, around your water heater and furnace, and within the basement and attic. Remember to keep these areas cleaned from time to time.

Take a closer look around the perimeter of your house. Most especially to the areas surrounding your doors, windows, foundation, utility holes, and roof. Steel wool can be used to fill any minor holes. To keep the steel wool in place, you can use caulk. To repair large holes, use a lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting, all of which can be easily found in your local hardware shop.

When the leaves begin to fall later in the season, try to keep your home and yard as clean as possible or at the very least remove these leaves away from your home. Rodents and other animals enjoy making homes out of these.

Also, if you have a garage full of birdseed, keep it in a sealed metal container. Chipmunks and squirrels are known for biting through plastic in search of a tasty meal. Also, keep firewood at least 20 feet away from your home, as mice enjoy building nests in woodpiles. Bring it inside only when you’re ready to use it to ensure that any wood-boring insects are quickly destroyed.

Trim back shrubbery on the exterior of your property to remove the bridge that mice and rats use to enter your home. Trim any branches and twigs that hang over or touch your house, and clip any leaves that hangover or touch it.

Organizing your food properly is an excellent strategy to prevent mice from coming into your Alabama house. A hungry mouse or rat will easily eat any food that falls on the floor, crumbs that get under appliances, or even dinner left out overnight. Clean up any spills and messes right away, and never leave food out overnight, no matter how sleepy you are. In the south, it’s also a bad idea to store rice, cereal, or pet food on the ground unless it’s in a tightly sealed container. Keep pet food, especially birdseed, in plastic or metal containers since mice and rats are attracted to it.

While all of the above methods are effective in keeping mice out of your home, they will occasionally find a way in no matter how hard you try. If you are looking for professional help to get your homes free from rodents and other pests, be sure to call us right away. Local Exterminator will be happy to help, with pest control, crawl space cleanout, and more. Visit our website to see the list of services we offer.