3 ways to keep your home rodent-free

Posted 22 September, 2024 Andrew Rasch

Even the most ardent animal lover would baulk at sharing their home with unwanted rodents.

Mice and rats are crafty creatures and experts at exploiting building weaknesses to set up camp in your house’s roof cavity or wall linings.

Putting up a neon NO VACANCY sign doesn’t work, but these tricks may help keep those rodents away.

1. Look for gaps

Like us, most rodents prefer a nice warm spot inside, especially in winter. Once they’re in, watch out, because a pair of rodents can produce up to 700 offspring every year. As a first line of defence, eliminate gaps in your house and exterior buildings.

Walk around your property and do a thorough inspection. Mice can squeeze through openings as narrow as 5mm, so plug even the smallest gaps with strong wire, steel wool, mortar, sealant or other non-chewable materials.

Pay attention to exterior doors and windows, roller doors, air vents and spaces around electrical cables and water pipes. Rodents are good climbers so prune any branches near the house to stop them from getting in the roof.

2. Remove food sources

Without access to food, rodents in the house are likely to move on. Rodent teeth grow constantly, so they need to gnaw and will bite through plastic, cardboard or paper to get at the food inside. Store your food in glass, metal or heavy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.

Rodents also have a keen sense of smell, so avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink, or food on the benchtops, especially overnight. This author once had a rat climb onto the kitchen bench and eat an unpeeled banana during the night before it was disturbed by startled yells. Trust me when I say doing the dishes each night and packing your food away is preferable to finding a snacking rat in your kitchen.

3. Keep ’em out of the compost

Compost is wonderful for your plants and soil and encourages worms and microbes to turbocharge your garden’s growth. The trouble is rodents love compost too. Don’t abandon your composting plans but choose your method carefully.

Open compost piles attract rodents and they’ll be living nearby before you know it. Closed, tumbler-style composting bins are a better option but choose a metal one if you can.

In-ground compost chambers can be effective because they mask the smell and are less attractive to rodents. Avoid adding rodent favourites like grains, meat, eggs and dairy to your compost; coffee grounds and newspaper are better options to mask smells.

What if I already have rodent roomies?

Aside from the EEEEK! factor, mice and rats make a mess and can carry nasties like salmonella, E. coli and fleas. They eat fruit and veggies in your garden and can chew through electrical cables, and insulation and even cause household fires. As the weather warms up, having rodents around the house also increases the risk of backyard snakes. Bottom line: you’ll want the rats and mice gone from your lives quickly.

If you notice droppings and gnaw marks or hear regular scratching or other noises in the roof, it’s time to act. Depending on how squeamish you are, you can set traps at right angles along skirting boards and kitchen kickboards, or wherever rodents are active. You’ll find many spring-loaded and discreet traps on the market. Don’t add cheese as bait like in Looney Tunes cartoons – try peanut butter or jam instead. Wear gloves and apply the bait with a toothpick because rats can smell humans.

Be safety-conscious if you’re laying ready-made baits and avoid second-generation poisons as they also kill rodent-eating animals like birds of prey. Instead, use products containing first-generation poisons, such as warfarin, coumatetralyl and sodium chloride. The product should state the active ingredient on the packet so check carefully.

The other option is to call in the experts at Complete Pest Control. Their experienced and qualified technicians will thoroughly inspect your home or business, place baits and advise you how to prevent further rodent infestation.