Facing a rat or mouse problem is not something any of us would like to do. Unfortunately it is an issue that happens even in the best neighborhoods. So don’t worry, you are not alone.

One of the major mistakes that most people do in trying to get rid of rats or mice is to try to do it on their own. If you ran into this article trying to find way to tackle the problem yourself, you are in luck!

A lot of times, people fail to follow the correct steps in the correct order, allowing the rats or mice to quickly reproduce and wreck havoc inside of your home.

A good method to get rid of rats or mice consist of the following steps:

Locating points of entry: Where are the little critters coming from? How are they getting in? What food and water sources are luring them in?
Sealing up all those points of entry and removing all food and water sources.
Placing traps in the areas of activity.
Removing caught rats or mice from premises.
Reset traps and repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed.

Doing this usually solves the problem within 2 weeks. If the problem is not solved that means that either a point of entry was missed or not sealed properly or that new points of entry have been created.

Calling a professional is always your best bet and in some cases it turns out to be more economical. Not handling the problem correctly and quickly or cutting corners to cut the cost could result in the problem getting worse and more money being spent in the long run.

Now you may be wondering, “What can I do to prevent rats and other rodents from getting in my house in the first place?”

Here are some prevention tips on how to prevent rats from invading your home:

Make sure that the boxes in boxed food are properly closed and the plastic bag inside them is rolled down and clipped. Or stored them in glass or plastic containers with tight lids. You can get great ones even at the Dollar Store.
Roll down and use clips for food that is stored in plastic bags.
Clean any food spills (even dry foods) immediately, especially inside of cupboards and pantries.
If you feed your pets outside make sure to pick up their plates and any food particles right away. Do not leave pet food outside indefinitely.
Rats and other rodents are small enough to fit in small holes, pipes, vents and under practically anything. You can call us and schedule a full home inspection to detect possible points of entry and fix them. Ask us about our Home inspection and Invasion Prevention specials!!
Make sure your trash cans have lids and are properly closed.
Do not leave trash bags outside of your trash bins.
Clean your home regularly. if you haven’t clean it in a while, make sure to get a professional to do a deep cleaning and clean under and behind the furniture, the stove, the fridge, inside of pantry, kitchen cupboards and drawers, etc., since food particles accumulate in those areas and attract rodents and insects.
Pick up any fruit that has fallen from trees right away.