5 Things Attracting Rodents into Your Home

Although the property was empty, there were no rats. But soon as you came in, you started noticing rodents crawling over the place. Is it that they like living with humans? Far from it! They’re scared of us.

So what could be attracting these unsightly four-legged beings into your home? Here are five things attracting rodents into your home

1. Food!

Rats go wherever they can find food for sustenance, pretty much like any other animal or pest. And they can’t find food in an empty or clean home.

So the moment you start exposing foodstuffs and crumbs in your kitchen, rodents will smell them out from a long distance away.

Notably, rats aren’t picky eaters. So they’re attracted by virtually everything in your garbage bin, from vegetables to soap and leather.

2. A conducive environment

Rodents stay in a habitat for the same reason as any other animal: food, water, and shelter. Therefore, rats and mice come into your home because they can find food, water, and warmth.

It’s like you wouldn’t like to stay in an empty cold house. That’s why you’d hardly find rodents in a vacant home before you moved in. They can’t bore holes in the wall to keep themselves warm.

They’re warm-blooded, so they desire warmth as humans, which you get after insulating and installing the HVAC.But while creating their nests in your home, they can destroy your furniture and wires and do a lot of damage.

3. Compost

Do you have a garden? Then you most likely store compost.

Rodents are attracted to compost and pet waste because these things are more or less food, however digested. So your yard littered with organic manure may invite the rats in.

4. Accessible cracks and holes

Rats are tiny, so they don’t need you to open the door wide for them. They are always in search of their basic needs, so they’ll creep through any hole they find to see if something good awaits them.

rat trapsmice control

      some rodent controls to consider      

It’s like you walking into a restaurant without knowing if the food is good but hoping it is. You get attracted by the sight of the restaurant. So essentially, holes and cracks attract rodents into your home. They can climb trees and overhanging branches and come through your attic.

5. Plants and flowers

Colorful plants and flowers beautify your home. At the same time, rodents — especially roof rats — are attracted to flowers because they bear fruits. Fruit is a good food source for rodents.

Next steps

Now that you know what attracts rodents into your home, it’s wise to do something about it because you apparently don’t like their presence.

Here are ways to keep rodents away.

• Carry out professional pest control

  The first step to keeping pets away from your home is eliminating them altogether. Even when you start keeping food out of sight, rodents already consider the place their home and might not leave anytime soon, hoping food will come again.

  There are many commercially available rodenticides to apply. But while you may want to do it yourself, it’s in your best interest to hire professionals like the Terminix pest control operators. They’ll likely know the most effective methods to exterminate the pests immediately, especially when you’ve tried to no avail.

  Nevertheless, you must follow the following practices after your pest control to prevent another infestation soon after.

• Block holes

  At this point, you might want to think like a rat. A rat looks for the tiniest holes and cracks as they can squeeze through. Inspect your home and block such access points.

  Seal holes wider than a quarter-inch in diameter, cracks in the walls and floors, and spaces around doors, windows, and plumbing, says Ben Williamson of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

• Store food properly

  Where you store your food matters. Rodents can gnaw through cardboard, so it’s best to store food in plastic containers.

• Keep your yard clean

  It’s best to keep firewood away from your walls than up against it, as that can make it a hiding spot for rats. Prevent weed and overgrowth from taking over your landscape, and remove pet poop quickly.

other related articles of interest:

Easy Pest Control Tips That You Can Follow Every Day

Eco-friendly Ways to Get Rid of Pests and Start Renovations

Final words

There are many ways to prevent or address rodent infestation, some more effective than others. If you keep your yard clean and food unexposed but still find rats around, removing your insulation might help.

Then, they won’t have a cozy place to stay and will be forced to move on.

Whatever the case, getting rid of the infestation through professional pest control is advisably the first step to take.

Image credit: attracting rodents into your home by twenty20.com

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