It’s #PSL season and there is nothing better than sitting near the fireplace sipping on your warm beverage UNTIL you see a mouse scurry across the floor! Or even worse, you’re trying to get a good night’s rest and all you hear is scratching coming from the ceiling! The truth of the matter is Summer is almost over, day’s are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler. Mice will start to make their way into your home, and soon! Rat and mice removal with GreenLeaf Pest to make sure it’s not your home!

Did you know that a single mouse can defecate around 50-80 times a day and are major carriers of disease like hantavirus! Crazy right?! Not only do mice defecate and urinate on food prep areas, they can also cause extensive damage to your home by chewing on wires, and tunnelling through insulation. Don’t wait until they become an issue, protect your family and home today by following these simple steps!

Rat and Mice Removal – PREVENTION

When it comes to ensuring your home is rodent free/rat and mice removal, prevention is key. Now is the time to rodent-proof your home for the upcoming Fall & Winter seasons as mice can squeeze through gaps as small as a dime. You can also watch as Mr.Know Bugs walks the property and provides excellent prevention tips:
Part 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QIY2ntJXbk&t=23s)
Part 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EdLkWIfhGs)
Part 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfMcZeZR6hY&t=122s) 

1. Check these high active areas to ensure they are tightly sealed:

• Use a strong door sweep under doors, even the garage door!
• Ensure weather stripping around doors and windows aren’t damaged
• Patch cracks in the foundation
• Stuff excluder mesh (steel/copper wool) around pipes before caulking
• Cover dryers vents, attic vents, soffits etc. with excluder mesh
• Cover bricker weeper holes with a stainless steel weep hole cover
  • (Ask your GreenLeaf Expert ( rate and mice removal) how to buy some from our team)

2. Make your home unattractive to rodents:

• Keep grass short and weeds away from the home
• Reduce clutter and leaf litter around your home
• Secure garbage in tightly sealed bins
• Place wood piles away from the home and raised at least 30cm
• Eliminate water sources (leaky taps, open drains, sweating pipes etc.)
• Keep all food (including pet food) in tightly sealed containers

3. Implement an Exterior Monthly Prevention Program

• To protect the home, clients in active rodent communities will hire a professional pest control company in Toronto, such as GreenLeaf, to implement an on-going exterior program to help control rodent populations on the exterior before they become a problem on the interior. Have a rat and mice (near me) Contact us today to secure an appointment. 

Control Options

If you are reading this because you already have a rodent infestation, here are some control methods you can try: rat and mice removal near me

1. Snap Traps
   1. Snap traps are effective and easy to use
   2. They usually provide an instant kill, being a more humane control method
   3.  Traps should be set perpendicular to the wall, with the baited end of the trap closest to the wall
   4. If rodents have damaged products in your home, use those to bait the traps. You don’t have to use just food to bait, nesting material can also be used to lure rodents
2. Live Traps
   1. Live traps have a trap door that triggers when rodents walk through them 
   2. Entrance to the trap should be parallel to the wall
   3. Place 1 trap per entrance
   4. These traps should be checked at minimum once a day
3. Rodenticide
   1. Depending on the type of rodent you are trying to control and where, rodenticide might not always be the best option
   2. Poisoned baits and anticoagulants can be effective in controlling exterior populations around homes and businesses. They act as a first line of defence before they become an issue inside.
   3. When dealing with an interior rodent infestation a professional should always be contacted when placing rodenticide

Hiring a Professional

If rodents have made their way into your home and you have been unsuccessful in eliminating them, it may be time to consult a professional. A female mouse can get pregnant 4-5 times a year and give birth to 3-14 pups at a time! That’s a lot of mice! Here are some reasons why you should hire a professional:

1. They understand the biology of rodents; where they live, what they like to eat, how to capture and eliminate them etc. 
2. A professional will inspect the structure of your home for pest conducive conditions; structural gaps, behavioural issues etc. and provide you with advice on how to deter rodents
3. After inspection, based on observations and activity, the servicing technician would have gathered enough information to setup a proper strategy unique to your rodent issue
4. Professionals will access key rodent areas such as; attics, garages, pantries, etc. 
5. Because professionals have been trained and understand how to protect your family from rodents, the elimination process will be exponentially quicker.

Tired of dealing with rodents in and around your home? Looking for rat and mice removal near me – Contact us today! One of our service specialists are happy to chat with you and determine which solution is best for you. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

About the Author:

Amanda Pereira, the Operations Manager at GreenLeaf Pest Control, is always happy to help customers with their pest issues. She is a proud Golden Hawk graduating with an Honours BBA (Marketing) from Wilfrid Laurier University. In her spare time, she likes to walk and take pictures of nature.

The GreenLeaf Way, Way Better!