Rodents are a common, and troublesome infestation that are feared by everyone. If there is a rodent infestation in your home or on your property, you will need to get rid of them through effective deterrents or you could face ill health or property destruction.
In this article, we will be looking at how you can effectively deter rodents from your home.
Understanding Rodent Infestations
Before you can start to treat rodent infestations, you need to understand them. Here is a quick guide to rodent infestations that you need to consider.
Common Types of Rodents in Homes
Numerous common types of rodents can be found in your home or on your property. These include the:
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Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus): A large rat that is brown or grey, reaching body lengths of 28 cm and a tail that is about the same length. These are the rats people most commonly associate with infestations. They’re a global problem, originating from Northern China but spreading to nearly every location in the world.
© Martin Cooper
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House Mouse (Mus musculus): A small mouse that is becoming more associated with human dwellings than living in more natural environments. The small mouse can often be found living alongside humans in towns and cities, just like the Norway rat.
Dick Whitford © Australian Museum
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Roof Rat (Rattus rattus): Another species that is commonly associated with rodent infestations, this species originates from India and surrounding areas. Black in colour, it is about 18.5 cm body length and a 22 cm tail. It is not uncommon for people to confuse this rat with the Norway rat.
© Jane Vernon
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Field Mouse: A less common group of mice to find, they are still common in rural and agricultural settings. They’re small with sandy/orange-brown fur. They tend to live in fields, homes, and forests but prefer not to live in homes with humans active in them. But should their numbers increase, they can. Often they’re found in outbuildings.
What Causes Rodent Infestations in Homes?
There are numerous causes of rodent infestations in homes. For one, they gain access through holes in the wall, ventilation gaps, and open windows looking for shelter or food. If you leave food unattended and not stored correctly, they can often find their way in.
Mice tend to be harder to spot than rats. Mice will have several feeding spots that they visit every night, taking a small amount of food to reduce the possibility of discovery. However, rats are more obvious, due to their size and nature. They tend to feed in an area until full or the food has run out.
Another factor is the season. Some rodents will use homes and outbuildings for shelter in colder weather or as nesting sites during the breeding season.
The Role of Rodents in Spreading Diseases
The story of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa is a cautionary tale of how rodents can cause significant health problems if on a property. Betsy Arakawa died from complications from Hantavirus, which is transmitted from the droppings and presence of rodents on a property. Investigations found that there were rodents living in the outbuildings of the property.
These aren’t the only issues for rodents though. They are also known to spread Salmonella, Leptospirosis, and other rat-borne pathogens that can cause severe illness and potentially death.
They can do this through contact with humans, through their droppings and through shedding their hairs. They are also known to spread diseases just by walking and contaminating surfaces.
What is a Good Rodent Repellent
There are numerous rodent deterrents that you can use to keep rats and mice off your property. These include the following.
Chemical Rodent Repellents
Rats like many mammals rely on their sense of smell. Odours can be an effective way to disrupt their smell which deters them because they can’t detect food or predators. Or it can be a distasteful smell which they want to avoid generally.
Using rodent repellent sprays, essential oils, peppermint and eucalyptus throughout your home and in outbuildings will make them less attractive for a nesting site.
You can also use cat manure and poop, snake skins, and other predator signs as a way to deter rodents from certain locations.
Ultrasonic Rodent Repellers
Ultrasonic rodent repellers, like those made and sold by Envirobug, are scientifically proven to deter rodents from a location. They emit a sound that is undetectable to humans but can annoy a rodent easily. As a result, they avoid the away to stay away from the pain.
On the pictures above Wireless Rechargeable Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
These devices can be installed in many locations across your property to create a wide defence against rodents. They can also be solar powered, or work off your mains.
On the pictures above Stealthy 360 Degree Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Physical Barriers and Traps
There are numerous physical barriers and rodent traps that you can use. Rats and mice are very adept at eating through many materials, but there are some rodent proof materials that you can use to prevent access to your home.
Another option you have is to consider rodent traps for your home. There are snap traps and glue traps available. The problem with these is that they can cause other animals, like native snake species, to get trapped which can result in their death.
You could try the Envirobug Rodent Traps which are more environmentally friendly than those otherwise found on the market.
On the pictures above EnviroBug Humane Traps for Mice and Rodents
Natural Rodent Deterrents
Natural repellents for rodents are also very effective. Using predator scents like snake skins, cat poop, fox urine, and other smells can often deter rodents from your home and garden. You might also want to try natural plant odours that are proven to be effective, such as peppermint oil and neem oil.
How Do Rodent Deterrents Work?
Choosing the best rodent deterrent means you need to know how they work. Here is a quick guide.
The Science Behind Chemical Rodent Repellents
Rodents, like most mammals, rely on their smell to explore and understand their environment. If there are odours that block these, like those from the active ingredients from rodent repellents, then it can confuse them. Generally they will then prefer to move out of an area rather than risk being preyed upon or not finding food.
Effectiveness of Ultrasonic Rodent Repellers
Another aspect is the ultrasonic rodent repellers. These work by emitting a sound that is outside of the human hearing range, but at a frequency and pitch that can annoy rodents. It stops them from being able to use their hearing to detect predators or to communicate with each other. Therefore, they stay away from the noise.
On the pictures above Mighty Plug-in Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Not only do these devices stop rats and mice, they can also work against many other potential pests in the home. They’re also safer to be around children and pets.
How Traps and Physical Barriers Keep Rodents Away
Traps don’t technically keep rodents away from your home. But they do kill the rodents, preventing them from spreading disease. But you will need to clean away the trap and dispose of the dead rodent. Also, killing one rodent does little to remove a colony.
If you do use traps, they should be located on pathways used by the rodents. But they’re unlikely to be successful straight away. Rats are suspicious of new items on travel paths and will often avoid them. It can take several days or a couple of weeks for the traps to work.
When using rodent-proofing materials and sealing entry points, however, you’re making it harder for the rodents to access your property. Like most animals, they’re always looking for the easiest access to resources, so they’re likely to give up and try to find a new home.
Choosing the Right Rodent Deterrent for Your Home
What is the best rodent repellent? When choosing the rodent deterrent for your home, you need to consider several factors. These might include the following.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Rodent Deterrent
There are numerous factors such as your home size. The larger the home, the more traps, ultrasonic devices, and deterrents you will need. You might need to use different deterrents for various locations around the property depending on access points and the activity of the rodents in the area.
Also, you need to consider the severity of the infestation. Smaller infestations require less intensive solutions and you can get these under control easier.
Finally, you need to consider the safety of pets and children. Many traps and poisons can be dangerous to both and you don’t want to cross contaminate.
Best Rodent Deterrents for Different Environments
Another problem you might face is choosing the best rodent deterrents for the environment you’re in. What you’re able to use and need to use for outbuildings are different if the infestation gets inside an urban home.
Also, there are considerations such as environmental conditions and whether you’re in an urban or rural area.
How to Use Rodent Deterrents Effectively
Deterrents are only as effective as their placement and use. So here are some tips for you to consider.
Placement and Application Tips for Maximum Effectiveness
Placement and application should always be in rodent activity zones. Like all mammals, rodents tend to have pathways that they’ll use regularly. Identify these and you can place deterrents down to disrupt their routines. This alone can be a significant issue for the rodent.
You also want to make sure that you’re not placing the deterrent in a low-contact area or where the rodent can avoid the deterrent. For instance a trap in a wide open space isn’t going to be effective.
On the pictures above The Brute
Combining Multiple Deterrents for Comprehensive Control
For effective rodent control methods, you want to have integrated pest management and combine traps with repellents. This strategy improves the effectiveness of your actions and increases the chance of bringing a population under control as well as killing off the colony or forcing them to relocate.
How to Maintain and Monitor Rodent Deterrents Over Time
Traps are not set and forget tools. You will need to regularly inspect them on a weekly or monthly basis to check if they’re working and whether they need reapplication. Even if there are no signs of rodents in your area for a while, it is best to keep the deterrents in place to prevent a re-infestation.
The Pros and Cons of Popular Rodent Deterrents
There are several advantages and disadvantages of popular rodent deterrents. Here is a quick guide.
Chemical vs. Natural Rodent Repellents
Chemical rodent repellents can be dangerous to humans and pets. They can also have an environmental impact on the food chain, causing death among native populations. In addition, chemicals tend to be losing their effectiveness as rodents get more used to them.
Natural rodent repellents aren’t facing these issues and can be used with a clear conscience that you’re not going to put your family at risk or the local ecosystem.
Ultrasonic Devices: Advantages and Limitations
Ultrasonic devices are very effective, often causing rodents to flee an area quickly. However, there are a couple of drawbacks. They have a limited coverage area and might require a few placed around a property to be truly effective. In addition, they have a lifespan, requiring batteries or repairs.
Ultrasonic devices however are known to cause significant changes in rodent behaviour, often forcing them to change routes and nesting sites without harming them.
Traps and Physical Barriers: When to Use Them
Traps and physical barriers are an effective short-term, quick fix. They can kill numerous rodents who travel along a path. But these quick wins are often followed by poor success later on. Rats and mice learn to avoid them and killing one or two doesn’t kill off the colony.
Also, these traps are often no humane. Though you can buy some effective, humane traps from Envirobug that are going to be better in the long-term.
Preventing Future Rodent Infestations
The key to all the strategies above is to follow up with preventing future rodent infestations. This can be done with some of the strategies below.
Long-Term Strategies to Keep Rodents Out
The first thing that you need to do is to rodent proof your property. Use rodent resistant materials and seal entry points. In addition, you should use proper sanitation, secure food waste properly and prevent areas from being used as a dumping group which might entice rodents to use as a nesting site.
Maintenance of Rodent Deterrents and Environmental Modifications
You should also be careful to maintain rodent deterrents and environment modifications in and around the home. Create a regular inspection schedule and have spares of equipment, batteries, and materials to make quick repairs and replacements when deterrents are no longer effective.
Conclusion: Finding the Most Effective Rodent Deterrent for Your Needs
When looking to control and eradicate a rodent infestation, you need to find a deterrent suitable for your needs. Here are some things to consider.
Recap of Top Rodent Deterrent Solutions
There are numerous comprehensive deterrent systems. You want to use the best-performing products such as Envirobug solutions which have been scientifically proven to be effective against rats and mice. In addition, we offer a guarantee that if you’re not satisfied, you can get your money back.
Choosing the Right Approach for a Rodent-Free Home
You also want to choose the right approach for your home. You need to ensure that you’re using the solutions for the environment. Some approaches are ineffective in rural or urban centres. In addition, you should look at safety and the costs of the deterrents.
If in doubt, speak to a professional pest control company, like Envirobug, who can recommend the best products for your situation.
