Ask any homeowner what one of his biggest worries about his home is and they will all mention a rodent infestation, at some point. Pests are a real problem inside homes, and rodents are a really common intruder both in rural areas, as well as apartments and more urban homes. Let’s face it, rats and mice are everywhere these days, and they may well be in your home.
If you suspect you might be dealing with a rodent infestation, Wildlife X Team can help. Professionals like them are better equipped to deal with the situation in an efficient and long-lasting manner. They will also help you prevent future infestations by sealing entry points and giving you good tips – because you don’t want to deal with another mice family next month, do you?
Image by Gerhard G.
In this article, we’ll be looking at 3 easy projects that can help protect your home from rodents and that you can do yourself!
-
DIY Project #1: Build a trap.
Don’t worry, we’re not talking about a trap that will kill the poor rodents, as those are both cruel and often prove inefficient. Instead, you can build your own. These will be live traps, with the door falling shut when the rodent has entered and taken the bait, thus trapping it inside.
You can either build a live trap using a simple dog kennel, or if you are fond of working with your hands, you can attempt to build one out of wood logs. There are many great tutorials online that give you the specifics of what you’ll need in order to craft an efficient trap that will keep the rodent inside! She is a great source.
-
DIY Project #2: Fill in the gaps.
It’s a well-known fact that the best way to keep rats and mice out is to focus on prevention, and this means locating any potential entry points and filling them in. This will also give you plenty of opportunities to get crafty.
Tip: while rodents can chew through most materials if they truly want to, steel wool has been shown to resist their attempts. So make sure you fill the cracks and holes with some highly effective steel wool!
-
DIY Project #3: Rodent repellent.
Many homeowners and DIY enthusiasts also talk of the benefits of preparing some DIY rodent repellent, from things like peppermint essential oil, ammonia, or wintergreen oil. Rodents are said not to tolerate any of these smells, so people assume a spray repellent using one (or more) of these scents is an efficient way to keep rodents out.
Unfortunately, there is little evidence that these sprays actually work well. See, rodents are determined. They’d much rather put up with the icky smell than go through the trouble of finding a new home. So it can’t hurt to try a DIY repellent using these ingredients, but at the same time, we wouldn’t recommend relying on that alone to get rid of rodents!
