The Best Way To Keep Rodents Out Of Your Christiansburg Home

We have several rodent pests in our area, but we will focus on two whose names are synonymous with the word "rodent." What comes to mind when someone says, "I have a rodent problem?" Do you immediately think of rats and mice? You should. These two have earned their position as the top two rodent pests on earth. Sorry, squirrels, you and all the other backyard rodents don't make the cut. Why are rats and mice the worst? They don't just come into your yard, and they don't just get into your home; they can explore every level of your home and get into sensitive areas. Squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and other common yard rodent pests don't do this. Join us as we focus on these two rodents in Christiansburg, how to detect a rodent problem, and what to do when you do.      

Top Rodent Entry Points 

When rats and mice come into your yard and explore the perimeter around your home, there are a few common entry points they'll use to get into your home.

• Ground rodents (like Norway rats) will get underneath structures and chew on wood to gain entrance to crawlspaces or basement areas.

• Small rodents (like house mice) will chew on weatherstripping, door sweeps, and frames on exterior doors to make holes large enough to squeeze through. An adult house mouse only needs a hole the size of a dime.

• House mice may get into unprotected vents and weep holes to find their way into wall voids.

• All rodents can scale your exterior walls and get to louvers, gable vents, and other potential entry points that may seem too high to be of any concern.

• Roof rats and mice can scale trees and use branches to get on your roof. They can also work their way up unprotected downspouts on your gutter system. Once on your roof, they can chew through the seals of roof penetrations, such as exhaust pipes and skylights. They may also access your roofline trench or get in through soffits.

• All rodents can slip underneath a damaged garage door sweep. Once inside, they may be able to get into wall voids through unprotected wall outlet holes.

These are just a few entry points that rodents may use to get into your Christianburg home, but, of course, they don't need an opening. Rodents have strong incisors that are capable of making holes. If you hope to keep rodents out, you need to perform routine inspections and look for potential entry points and locations where rodents are gnawing on your property.  

What To Do If You Spot An Entry Point

If you perform an inspection and find potential entry points, you should take steps to seal them or hire someone who can do this for you. Rats and mice are terrible houseguests. The holes they create allow moisture, mold, fungus, and secondary pests to enter your home. They leave their waste in the areas they explore, presenting a health hazard. They carry ticks, fleas, and other parasites, also vectors for disease. And all it takes is one little mouse to chew on a wire and spark a flame within your walls.

Home maintenance and rodent control go hand-in-hand. We highly recommend making repairs that will keep rodents out of your home if you have the skillset. Here are a few examples:

• Inspect your entry doors for gaps. Replace weatherstripping, door sweeps, and frames to seal the gaps. It doesn't take long for a rodent to chew through rubber, and they commonly target this zone. If you have plants near your exterior doors or some other objects a rodent can hide behind, rodents will love this zone even more. 

• Inspect all your door and window screens. Repair or replace damaged screens. Keep in mind that it doesn't take much of a hole to allow a rodent to pass through, and the tiniest of holes can be made larger quickly.

• Inspect glass window and door panes. When rodents get past screens, a broken glass pane will provide quick access to your interior.

• Inspect window and door frames. When rodents get past screens, they may start to chew on frames and make a hole large enough to enter.  

• Cover dryer exhausts and other vents with wire screens to block these routes. These exhausts commonly come out underneath decks and other exterior structures, increasing their appeal to rodents. When a rodent has cover under a structure, it can spend the time it needs to chew a protective plastic cover off one of these vents.

• Rotting wood is a desirable target for rodents. They love to chew on soft wood and will carve out holes or create gaps to squeeze through. Replacing wood makes it harder for rodents to enter your home quickly.

• Install skirting around decks, porches, patios, and stairs to prevent rodents from entering the voids underneath these structures. Make sure your fencing material is inserted at least a foot into the ground when you do this to prevent rodents from burrowing underneath.

• Insert wire mesh into your downspouts to prevent rodents from working their way up through your gutter system to access your roof. There are many vulnerabilities up there.  

• Yard maintenance, such as cutting branches away from your roofline to keep rodents off your roof, also helps keep rodents out of your home. Furry tailed rodents aren't the only tree-climbing rodents. Rats and mice are adept climbers.

Rodents often get inside because they see an opportunity to do so. You can deter this behavior by sealing entry points and removing vegetation or objects that provide rodents with hiding places from predators as they chew their holes.        

How To Patch A Rodent Entry Point

If you perform an inspection, what do you do when you find holes that rodents have started? There are a few options. Some are less expensive than others. 

• You can fill a rodent hole with expanding foam. It is a quick and cheap fix, but it isn't pretty. While rats and mice can chew through this material, they may not try. They prefer to make small holes larger. Removing holes may be enough of a deterrent. 

• You can use a caulking gun to apply a nicer-looking fix. It is possible to find a color that matches the wood of your home. Caulk works the way expanding foam does; it removes the hole as an attractant and deters further damage.

• If rodents persistently chew on one area, you can apply wire mesh over the area. Rats and mice will have to work harder to get through and may not want to do this, particularly if they cannot find a hiding place from which to do their damage. 

• When rodents don't take no for an answer, you may need to resort to materials rodents can't get through, such as metal flashing or hardware cloth. You can use these to reinforce wood, soffits and fascia or to keep rodents out of louvers and gable vents.  

It is a lot of work to seal entry points, and it is work that requires a set of skills. On top of this, it can be hazardous to climb ladders during construction projects. You may find it more advantageous to have a contractor handle this work or to hire a rodent control professional who provides exclusion work.

Rodent Entry Point Elimination Service By All Pest Control & Solutions

When you need rodent pest control in Christiansburg, it pays to go with All Pest Control & Solutions. Our service team provides comprehensive rodent control services in our proven three-step process. 

1. We begin with an inspection to determine rodent activity, routes, conducive conditions, and other relevant factors related to your rodent control problem. From this inspection, we can determine what level of control is needed and whether or not we can correct your rodent problem in one visit. It is nice when this can happen.  
2. After sharing our findings with you, we'll establish a rodent exclusion and baiting program. Exclusions create physical barriers to keep rodents out of your home and are a long-lasting deterrent. These exclusions stay in place long after your service visit and add value to your home. Baiting works to cull rodent populations and monitor rodent activity. The tamper-resistant traps we use are appropriately baited and deployed strategically to achieve maximum impact. 
3. We perform essential follow-up visits. During these visits, we evaluate the success of your rodent control program. We do this by looking for warning signs of continued activity and checking bait stations for the presence of rodents. We also remove rodents and sanitize areas where rodent activity is detected.

If you live in Christiansburg, let All Pest Control & Solutions guide you toward an effective resolution to your rodent control issues and help you keep rodents out of your home for good. Our hardworking pest control technicians have the training, experience, and professionalism to get this hard job done right. Reach out to us today to schedule a service visit. We're here to help.