Rodents

While many people think a rodent's large ears, dark eyes, and curious whiskers are cute, and some even keep them as pets, when rodents enter our homes uninvited, they quickly lose their charm! Rodents are destructive, disease-spreading pests that should never be allowed to use our Cincinnati homes as a place to forage for food or to nest. Unfortunately for us, rodents like mice and rats have become comfortable living near people and, with ease, move in, out, and around our homes.

When it comes to rodents in Cincinnati, food is what is most likely to attract them. Rodents have a high metabolism, and they are constantly trying to find food to fill their hungry stomachs. The more places that rodents can access food on your property, the more drawn to it they will be. Most of our properties unintentionally provide rodents with the food they are looking for. Trash cans, bird feeders, pet food, compost, and gardens all attract foraging rodents. Once rodents find what they are looking for, they quickly make themselves comfortable, establish large populations, and are challenging to eliminate.

We want to provide you with the following tips to help you prevent rodents like mice and rats from becoming unwanted roommates.

• Keep what they love out of their reach — food! Limit their access to food in your home by regularly washing dirty dishes, vacuuming, wiping down counters, and practicing proper food storage.

• Limit a rodent's ability to forage for food in your yard by keeping lids on trash cans, regularly harvesting gardens, removing bird feeders, and keeping outdoor eating areas free of food debris.

• Make it difficult for rodents to find entry points. Use caulk, steel wool, or another appropriate material to seal cracks in the foundation and spaces around utilities.

• Install door sweeps and weatherstripping.

• Remove clutter from your yard that provides mice and rats with shelter and easy access to your home.