Having a rodent problem is a harrowing situation for most. Fortunately, safe, effective means of removing and excluding rodents are readily available. And now, all those methods are clearly laid out in one place, thanks to a fellow Rescue Raptors (Mass Audubon) member! We handed out this rodent control guide frequently at EcoFest on Saturday – feel free to download, print, mark up, and share!
Scroll to the bottom for a downloadable version.
#1 Keep Rodents Out
Blocking entry points is one of the most effective things you can do to control rodents. Rats can fit through holes as small as half an inch and mice can fit through holes as small as a quarter of an inch! You can test to see whether a mouse could get through an opening by seeing whether a standard pencil fits through it – if it does, they can get in.
Step 1: Find the places where rodents can get in.
Look for signs of rodent activity (like droppings, gnaw marks, shredded material, gross smell) as you check the inside and outside of your home for entry points.
Indoors
- Check for cracks and holes in walls and ceilings, roof, attic, basement, and crawlspace, plus the garage and any sheds.
- Pay close attention to windows, closets, doors, corners, fireplaces, kitchen cabinets, sinks, appliance pipes (behind the kitchen stove, washing machine, under sinks, etc.), and where electrical wires and cables enter the wall.
Outdoors
- Check around the outside of your home for potential entry points. Pay close attention to where utilities are connected.
- Do vents (plumbing, dryer, crawlspace, etc) have screens?
- Do any doors leading outside have gaps underneath?
Step 2: Block those entry points.
- Use ¼” hardware cloth or copper mesh to fill holes and cracks. Seal with spray foam (OSI Quad is one brand) or (for outside) you can use an epoxy adhesive.
- Install rodent-proof door sweeps (Xcluder is one brand).
- Use a garage door guard or clip (like the Xcluder brand garage door seal kit) to close gaps.
- Cover vents with ¼” hardware cloth/mesh or use vent caps.
- If you have a chimney, install a chimney cap.
- For porches/sheds, dig a 1 to 2 ft trench around the perimeter, pack with ¼” hardware cloth or mesh, and recover with dirt.
#2 Keep Rodents Away
Removing food, water, and shelter sources will make your property an undesirable place for rodents. Remember that garbage is usually their main food source. Gardeners – some of these tips may seem to go against what you’re trying to achieve. Take a look at our “Gardeners’ Roundtable” for a discussion of how to keep your garden vibrant while discouraging rodents. Feel free to reach out for tips – many of our members have found workable solutions!
Step 1: Remove food and water sources
Indoors
- Keep kitchen surfaces clean and food (including pet food) in airtight containers. Do not leave food out on countertops for long periods of time.
- Repair leaky pipes.
- Do not leave pet food and water bowls out overnight.
- Rinse food and beverage containers well before discarding or recycling.
- Clean trash and recycling bins regularly and make sure they have secure lids.
Outdoors
- Use rodent-proof trash bins (metal or thick plastic) with secure lids, and if possible, keep them away from the building. Clean the bins regularly.
- Do not put garbage out for pickup early – if your pickup is in the morning, place your bins out early that morning.
- Keep the grill and outdoor eating areas clean.
- If you have a bird feeder, take it down at night and clean up spillage daily. Consider not having one.
- Do not leave pet food or water bowls outside for long.
- Clean up pet poop promptly.
Gardening and compost
- Use raised garden beds lined with ¼” hardware cloth.
- Store seedlings inside or in a lidded container before planting.
- Harvest food from gardens and fruit trees as soon as possible. Do not leave fallen fruit and veggies on the ground.
- Fix leaks in garden hoses and sprinklers.
- Keep compost piles as far away from buildings as possible. Use a rodent-deterring compost bin.
Step 2: Remove potential nesting materials and sites
- Declutter your home of papers, fabric, cardboard, and similar stuff that may be attractive to rodents as nesting material.
- Avoid clutter outside too, particularly near trash bins.
- Cut tree branches 3 feet back from buildings. (Do this in fall or winter when birds and wildlife are not nesting.)
- Do not plant ivy or similar ground cover.
- Use pebbles or rocks instead of plants to form an 18 to 24 inch border around your home.
- Regularly mow the lawn and trim overgrown vegetation.
- Keep firewood off the ground by at least 18 inches and as far away from buildings as possible.
- Elevate chicken coops by at least 18 inches.
Step 3: Add stuff rodents don’t like
- Use peppermint (packets of fresh mint, cotton balls soaked in essential oil, or a spray) and/or cayenne pepper in areas where you’ve seen or suspect rodent activity and along door thresholds/building foundations. Do this regularly.
- There are also ready-made rodent repellents that you can buy and use in a similar way. (Products include Rataway, Fresh Cab Botanical Repellent, Pro-Pell Rodent Repellent, and Rodent Mace.)
- If you have a garden, consider adding plants to it that rodents dislike such as basil, thyme, garlic, and onions. (You can plant peppermint, too, but always plant it in a pot since it spreads rapidly.)
- Products are available that use ultrasonic sound waves at frequencies disliked by rodents (for example, the product MouseBlocker) to keep them away.
- Strobe lights can also be used to create an unwelcoming environment for rodents (for example, the product Evictor 10K).
#3 Remove Remaining Rodents
Remove any remaining rodents hanging around by using traps or other options listed. More than one method will probably be needed if you have a lot of rodents on your property.
Traps
Place traps where you’ve seen rodents or signs of rodent activity (such as droppings, shreddings, gnaw marks, etc.) Be sure to place traps where children, pets, and non-target animals cannot get them. Always read and follow the instructions provided with the trap.
Snap Traps
- Covered versions are available for better safety. You can also place them in an empty commercial bait station box.
- For best results, use a small amount of smelly bait (such as peanut butter, chocolate) in the trap.
- Place the trap against the wall with the bait toward the wall so that rodents must enter it head-first.
- Place traps in pairs next to each other.
High-Voltage “Zap” Traps
- Products such as Owltra, the Raticator, and the Victor Electronic Mouse Trap are examples of traps that use a high-voltage shock to instantly kill rodents. Some traps can be monitored via smartphone.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Traps
- The Goodnature A24 rodent trap uses a canister of CO2 to trap and instantly kill rodents. One canister can kill 24 rats and mice before a replacement is needed. The trap can be monitored via smartphone and resets on its own.
Fertility Control
Fertility control treatments for rodents (aka “rodent birth control”) can be a long-term solution for preventing rodent infestations. These treatments use natural ingredients and are safe for people, pets, and wildlife. In order to be effective, they must be used regularly. Several brands of products are currently available:
- The Good Bites product is available from WISDOM Good Works.
- The company SenesTech sells two different rodent fertility control products: Evolve and Contrapest. You can also check out the Ratology web site for these products.
Other Options
- RatX and MouseX brand products are naturally derived pellets of corn gluten meal. When eaten, it causes rodents to stop wanting water and they eventually die of dehydration.
- BurrowRX is a carbon monoxide sprayer system that can be pumped directly into burrows to kill the rodents in it. Contact a pest control professional for this option.
- Dry ice (which is the solid form of carbon dioxide) can also be used in burrows to kill the rodents in it.
- Many cats are great mousers (and they have other good qualities too)! But keep your furry killing machine indoors so it doesn’t harm birds and other wildlife.
- Rodents are the main food source for birds of prey like owls. Buy or build your own nesting box to attract owls so they can do their thing. Before installing a nesting box, be sure that there is no rat poison in use nearby (including your neighbors’ properties).
What NOT to Use
Say NO to:
Any type of anticoagulant rodenticide. These poisons pose a major risk to wildlife, including birds of prey such as eagles, owls, and hawks, and other predator species like foxes, coyotes, and fishers. They can also hurt pets and even humans. These poisons are commonly used in the pest control industry. If you use a pest control company, make it clear that you do not want these applied on your property.
These are the names of anticoagulant rodenticide poisons:
- Brodifacoum
- Bromadiolone
- Difenacoum
- Difethialone
- Chlorophacinone
- Diphacinone
- Warfarin
Different brand names may be used for each of these – for example, one brand name for rat poison containing brodifacoum is “Talon.”
Also say NO to:
Glue traps. They cause horrific suffering for ANY bird or animal unfortunate enough to end up stuck to one.
