The holidays are a time filled with family, food, and cheerful celebrations—it’s the most wonderful time of the year! And while colorful decorations and freshly baked cookies are wintertime staples, colder months can also mean higher chances of a rodent infestation. If you are hosting a potluck or outdoor party, you’ll want to learn how to keep rats away from your yard, and you will want to make sure any rats outdoors don’t make their way inside. Fortunately, though, there are steps you can take before your guests arrive to help keep rats away during the holiday season.
Gather around the fireplace and read our tips on how to keep unwanted rats and mice away.
Fill in the gap
The first step to keeping unwanted rats and other rodents out of your home is to seal off any possible entryways. Cracks and holes in walls, around windows and doors, and in your roof offer an easy way in for rodents. Fill larger holes with mortar or plastic.
Make sure you cover smaller cracks and crevices, too. Did you know that mice are capable of entering your home through a hole that’s just .25 inches wide? To ensure they can’t get in, fill smaller holes with caulk or wire.
You’ll also want to check your drainage pipes, as rats and mice can easily make their way indoors via broken pipes.
Maintain a clean living space
With children running around and family members snacking on holiday treats, keeping your home clean is often an impossible feat. But in order to keep rodents out, you’ll want to keep your home—especially your kitchen—as clean as possible, as rodents enter your home in search of food.
Designating chores to different family members after meals, or having a few helpers while you prepare the main event, is a simple and effective way to keep your kitchen and dining areas clear of crumbs and pieces of holiday meals left behind.
And don’t forget to take out the trash! Rodents are attracted to the smell of trash, so try to remove it from your home as often as possible.
Inspect dark areas
Basements and attics are popular hideouts for rodents. They tend to make their home in dark places, typically behind large appliances or obstructions like heaters, furnaces, washers, and dryers.
If your attic or basement is stacked high with storage boxes, be sure to go through them a few times a year. Rodents can hide in these spaces for quite a while—especially if there’s an available food source nearby—so inspecting boxes on occasion can help you spot any rodents before they become a problem.
At the end of the holiday season, instead of packing your holiday décor in cardboard boxes, consider storing decorations in hard, plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes. Doing so will keep rats from chewing through boxes and hiding in your storage areas.
Check for signs
Sealing off entryways, maintaining a clean home, and inspecting storage areas is a good way to keep rodents out of your home this holiday season, and throughout the year. But despite your best efforts, those pesky rats can sometimes still find their way inside. Fear not, though: there are other signs to look for to determine if you have rodents in your home.
Look for droppings along baseboards or in dark places in your kitchen or bathroom, like cupboards or under the sink. Check for chew marks on plastic, metal, and other soft items in your home.
If you notice any of these signs, take initiative and set a few traps around your home.
Give us a call
Eliminating a rodent problem is no easy task. To ensure your home is free of rats this holiday season, consider hiring a group of professionals. ABC Home & Commercial Services is dedicated to helping our customers rid their home of unwanted pests year around. Our team of educated professionals uses a thorough treatment approach that has proven successful to remove unwanted rodents and wildlife.
There’s no need to overreact this holiday season. If the necessary steps are taken, your home will be rat-free throughout the celebration. Contact us at ABC Home & Commercial Services today, and we can help you achieve a safer, happier, and rodent free home.