Rodent Control information

Learn About Rats

• Rats require roughly one ounce of food a day and a half ounce of water.
• They can gnaw through plastic, wood, soft metals, wire, and even cinder block and brick.   
• Rats can squeeze into the tiniest of spaces.

Find the Rats

• Routinely check the perimeter of your dwelling, yard, and any sheds or fences for evidence of burrows.
• Routinely check trash barrels for evidence of gnawed holes on the bottom and sides.
• Use rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids for garbage and other trash (heavy-duty plastic or metal)
• Do not store or put trash out for pick-up in bags only.
• Use rodent-proof containers to store food and pet food.
• Clean up after pets: rats will feed on leftover pet food and even pet waste.
• Be aware of rodent activity in and around outdoor gardens and fruit plants in your yard. Rats will eat fruits and vegetables.
• Wash trash and recycling containers and the areas around them frequently.

Evict the Rats

• Plug holes in floors and walls with wire mesh (copper, stainless, or aluminum).         
• For holes inside, cover the mesh with spackle, plaster, or hardening sealant.
• Repair broken windows, doors, screens, and roofs.
• Tear down or repair dilapidated fences, sheds, and garages.
• Remove abandoned vehicles, appliances, construction debris, wood piles, and tires from yards.
• Routinely mow lawns and trim shrubbery.
• Put bird food in feeders only and don't overfeed. Store seeds in containers with tight lids. Clean up spills daily.
• If you have a substantial rat issue- remove bird feeders at this time.

Exterminate the Rats

The best way to deal with rats on your property is to hire a licensed pest management professional (ask to see his/her Massachusetts License), who incorporates Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Practices.

• Never allow traps or poison to be placed where children or pets can reach them.
• If you perform pest control yourself, carefully read and follow labels on all traps and poison.
• Lay traps in areas where activity has been noted and place them no more than 20 feet apart.
• When emptying a trap or if you find a dead rat, do not handle it with bare hands; use gloves or tools and place it within a trash receptacle.

Prevent the Rats

Rats have a very sensitive nose, which they use to find food, but it can also be used to deter them. There are many chemical repellents, but while some of these can be effective, rats can learn to tolerate and resist them. But in your anti-rat campaign, everything helps. There are a lot of commercial options, as well as some home remedies:

• Ammonia
• Peppermint oil
• Castor oil
• Citronella oil

Soak several cotton balls in whatever oil or chemical you're using and tuck them in and around your garbage cans and other places you may expect to find rats.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Rat Poison to Get Rid of Mice in the Home

Rat poison is regularly advertised as an effective solution for ridding the home of mice. Using it comes with unintended and dangerous consequences. Rat poison is ineffective for reasons outside of the fact that it’s filled with potent chemicals. Keep reading to find out why you shouldn’t use rat poison to get rid of mice, and what you should do instead.

Unintended Victims

Using rat poison around the home puts pets and young children at risk. Loose pellets could wind up in the hands of toddlers, who are attracted to the color and small size. These curious family members may get a little too close and personal to the poison, which could result in an unplanned trip to the hospital. 

Pellets resemble food, and leaving these on the ground makes it easy for your wandering dog to enjoy an unplanned snack. Your pet cat might accidentally eat the mouse who’s already ingested the poison, leaving you to determine why they suddenly don’t feel well. 

These accidental incidents aren’t worth the risk when other methods exist to get rid of mice in the home. Rat poison in the home creates unintended targets. Alternative options that reach the right audience exist. 

Harmful to the Environment

Rat poison doesn’t end at rats, it can extend to third parties such as other animals, and children. If a hungry predator eats these victims, the predator is affected. Rodenticides ingested by mice and rats and stay in their body, and they’re harmful to more than those pesky pests. This poison transfers to unknowing predators. 

Poison ingested by the pest buildups in the bodies of larger animals, which can eventually lead to death. Anticoagulants, one of the most common rodenticides, works by preventing blood from clotting. This causes internal hemorrhaging, which can persist in the animal for months, causing bigger problems. Drowsy animals become a target for roadkill. When these animals are mentally and physically slowed down, they don’t know where they’re going and could wind up being struck on the road. 

Bobcats, foxes, coyotes, and hawks are likely third parties unintentionally killed on route after pests. Indirect contact is a problem, but poison has a direct side effect as well. Pellets left on the ground around the property could be scooped up by wandering wildlife. Overall, poison damages our ecosystem.

It Misses the Problem

Using rat poison to rid the home of mice doesn’t solve the problem of mice in the home. Even if it gets rid of the animal, it doesn’t remove the nest and droppings left behind, or fix the gaping holes in the foundation where mice found their way in. Mice can die somewhere in the home, leaving homeowners new bacteria to cleanup and prevent from spreading.

Rat poison doesn’t kill all mice in the home—only the ones who happen to eat it. Poison is a temporary fix that only gets rid of mice for a little bit. Don’t forget that mice have a rapid growing population. A more permanent solution is necessary to ensure all mice are gone.

The best solution is humane mouse removal services. Homeowners benefit from trained professionals who come in, inspect the problem, evict the mice, and put preventative measures in place so they don’t return. These services have an action plan that works to get every last mouse out. With decontamination processes in place, you can be sure your home won’t attract other mice, and it’ll be free of droppings and grease marks. Humane mouse removal services understand the importance of all animals in the ecosystem, making sure both parties are protected.