It is very unsettling to walk into a room and see a rat or a mouse take off for cover. If you are like most individuals this is when you are going to decide that you want rodent control in your home. You are in the right to want to get rid of the little pests. Rats often carry fleas that carry the plague, and mice are notorious for spreading Hantavirus which can be deadly to humans. So, the quicker you get rid of the little pests the better. There are a few different actions that you can take that will help you keep rodents out of your home, or kill them once they have broke in unwanted.

Seal Your Home

Mice and rats need a way to get into the home, and most of the time this is going to be a crack or gap in your home's structure. You should first seal your basement or crawl space. Start by going to your local home improvement store and buying a polymer seal, and then spreading that seal through the basement or crawl space. The next thing that you want to do is re-caulk all the windows and doors to seal up any gaps that may have happened.

Set Traps

Traps can be one of the most effective ways to kill a rodent. To effectively trap mice or rats, it is important that you first find a place of high traffic. So, look for grease stains on the floor boards, or an abundance of fecal pellets. Once you have located a high traffic area, set your trap with bait that is common to the animal. If you have noticed the rat is going for the cereal in the cupboard that is the bait you should use. Next, be sure that you set the trap with the bait toward the middle of the room. Rats and mice travel along the baseboards and will have to go over the snap mechanism in order to get to the food.

Professional Help

If it has been a few weeks and you have caught multiple rats or mice, and you notice the numbers are not decreasing then you should seek professional help. Professional pest control services will give you the best chance to be rid of the little beasts. The technician will spray and can perform a variety of different actions to prevent mice and rats from entering your home. 

Check with companies like Xtermco Inc for more information.