Things You Are Doing to Attract Rodents to Your Monterey Home

Last Modified on October 11, 2021 by Zachary Smith

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If someone asked you if you are trying to invite rodents to spend the winter in your home, I’m sure you would say no. Unless you have a pet mouse or hamster, you probably are not hoping to start the new year with a host of rodents. But you may actually be inviting rodents into your home. Could you be allowing, or even attracting, rodents into your Monterey home?

Rodent Invaders

What kinds of rodents might end up in your home? You could have roof rats, which often climb onto roofs and come down through chimneys. You might have Norway rats, which are larger and more aggressive. They can come up through pipes or craw in through holes in the exterior of homes. You could have house mice, which can fit through a hole the size of a nickel. Or you might have squirrels, gophers, chipmunks, or other wildlife that come inside trying to find a warm nest. All of these can be dangerous and should be avoided.

What Attracts Rodents?

Here are three things that attract rodents: food, water, and shelter. Even just a few food crumbs left on the floor could be enough to attract a mouse. If you have food left in thin plastic bags or cardboard boxes, mice and rats can easily chew through the packaging and feast on your food. Since they don’t need a lot of water, just a small drip will be enough.

By leaving even the smallest hole, you might be making a gateway for rodents to come inside. They seek warmth, so your climate-controlled home is perfect for them. They also want a quiet place where they won’t be disturbed. This means that infrequently used rooms in your home, like your basement, attic, and closets, could be perfect hideouts.

Rodent Prevention

The best step you can take toward a rodent-free home is to seal up their entry points. First, check the exterior of your home for any cracks and holes. Seal these with caulking to keep rodents, and other pests, from sneaking inside. The next step is to put screens over your vents. This is an important step in keeping rodents outside. In order to keep out roof rats and squirrels, get a chimney cover to keep them from coming in from above. Cutting back tree branches above your house can also be a good step to preventing these climbing rodents.

Dangers Of An Invasion

When rodents get inside your home, you have a lot of problems on your hands. These pests will get into your kitchen and contaminate food, they will gnaw on furniture and even walls, they will leave urine and feces throughout your house, they may chew on wires and electronics, they will likely bring in other pests like fleas and ticks, they may be aggressive and bite, and they may carry in diseases like salmonella and tularemia.

If you have a rodent invasion, or if you suspect that you are unwittingly attracting rodents to your home, let Smith’s Pest Management help. We are experts in dealing with all species of rodents. Not only will we clear your home of rodents, but we can also help you make your home less attractive to them in the future so that your house will be rodent-free long-term.

Reach out to learn more today.

Author Bio: Zach Smith

Landscape Pro Turned Gopher Pro: Owner, Zach Smith, graduate of Cal Poly’s Horticulture program worked nine years as a landscape professional- dealing with gophers, moles, and ground squirrels and was quickly recruited by other local gardeners. Fast forward to the past 15+ years, where Zach and his team trap and remove burrowing pests from residential, municipal and commercial properties throughout the San Francisco Bay area, from Marin to Monterey.