One of the ways that rats and mice can be excluded from your home is to add door sweeps. A rat can enter an opening the size of a quarter. A mouse can enter an opening the size of a dime. This is where door sweeps for rodent control come in.
Most homes have giant gaps under the door in the garage from a side yard or even back yard.
These gaps under the door are an instant spot for rodents to enter to find food or shelter.
A door sweep is a fast solution to exterior door sweeps
One of the best ways to keep rodents out of your home is to exclude their access. A term used for this act is exclusion.
The gap under most doors from a garage to the outside of a home is over ½ an inch. This space allows for either rats or mice to enter the garage.
It is common to find storage areas in a garage filled with paper, fabric, or boxes. These materials and locations can harbor rodents, and they may be referred to as harborage.
A clean garage may help more.
If you already have rodents in your garage, one of the best tips is to clean up the infested areas. You may choose to use cleaners to help disinfect the urine and feces. It would be smart to wear protective gear and to wash your hands and clothes with hot water and soap.
Food sources
Rats have an amazing sense of smell and can locate food anywhere. If you leave food sources out long enough and have rats near your home, they will find these sources.
It is common to find food dishes for dogs or cats in the garage. If this is an open bowl filled with food, a rodent can take that food source and relocate it to their __________.
You may even have stored food in your garage that may attract rodents. If these are open bags of food that rodents can get into it may be better to store them in your home.
Water sources
Rodents don’t just need food to survive they also need water. You may have areas were small amounts of water leak in or near your garage. These areas with water become a double threat when food is also available.
Secondary problems
Its not juts that the rodents can enter you home. The rodents can create more problems with making a home in your home. These “structures” they build are made of chewed material like fabric, wood, plastic and food. The food can create problems with moths, maggots and ants.
Even more, rodents can carry fleas, which can spread to pets or be a source of problems for humans.
What a pest control technician can help you with:
A pest control technician can help you locate the areas of access to your home whether from a gap under the door or even a hole in your home.
You will typically hear a plan for the technician on what steps to take. They may prescribe some steps for you as well as their steps they will take. On a two part solution you will need to fulfill some work to help resolve your rodent problem.
The solutions prescribed may vary from:
- Clean up an area where rodents have been
- Remove areas of harborage
- Remove food sources and or water sources
- Exclude areas where the rodents can enter the home
A door sweep meant for rodents
There are two versions of door sweeps. The first is a basic version you can pick up at a box store. The downside to these door sweeps is they can be chewed or gnawed through. The materials used were not specifically built to survive the damage rodents like rats can incur. A rat can chew through metal if the right circumstances are present. The choice of exterior door sweep types does matter.
The second is meant for exclusion service and is built to withstand rodents. The rubber used to construct the door sweep is thicker. The internals of the door sweep are filled with a mix of carbon fiber and steel wool. The mount that attaches to the door is also a thick piece of metal.
We can help you out
If you have a rodent problem in your garage, we can help you with a few things to alleviate the problem.
- Door sweeps
- Junk removal
- Exclusion
- Baiting when applicable (the bait is applied in secured bait boxes)
Its really easy to get the help you need, just call the office at (916) 252-4703 and the friendly office staff can help you out.
Just let the office know you have a problem with rodents and would like help with the exclusion or baiting of the rodents.
The number is (916) 252-4703
Contact us to schedule your complimentary inspection, and we’ll provide a free estimate for our services.