How To Minimize Rodent Activity Around Your Rochester Home This Summer

While spring is the season of new life, summer is the season where everything feels the most alive. Flowers bloom, animals frolic, and insects buzz. The world comes alive in the summer. Although there are many things to love about summer, this uptick in animal and pest activity also means that your home is at greater risk of an infestation. Rodents are some of the pests that are at their most active in the summer. Although we typically associate rodent infestations with the colder months in fall and winter, your house is not safe from a rodent infestation in the summer. Effective rodent control is something that needs to occur all year long to avoid rodents and the problems they cause. For pest control in Rochester that protects your home from rodents no matter the season, you need RodentX. We offer the expert rodent control services your home needs for total protection.

Factors That Can Push Rodents Indoors In The Summertime

Rodents in New York typically enjoy the summer months. The weather is nice and food is plentiful. However, not every summer is great for rodents. There are several factors that can push rodents into your house.

The weather plays a huge part in either allowing rodents to stay outdoors or forcing them to move inside. A particularly rainy summer may have rodents moving inside to avoid becoming too soggy. If the weather is extremely hot for an extended period, you may discover rodents in your walls in an attempt to get relief from the heat. Similarly, a particularly dry summer may make rodents come inside looking for water. A summer that is too wet or too dry can also lead to a lack of food for rodents. This can drive them into your house in search of food.

Mistakes Rochester Homeowners Make To Invite Rodent Activity

Common rodents, like mice or rats, are the most likely types of rodents to find their way into your home this summer, and they might do it for a variety of reasons. However, there are also things you might be doing to make your home more inviting to rodents.

If your yard has tall grass and a lot of lawn debris, it will allow rodents to more easily hide on your lawn. The same is true of wood piles, rock walls, and other areas where rodents can hide. These spaces allow rodents to get closer to your home without being detected.

Leaving food sources outside also signals to rodents that your house is a good place to hang out. Pet food, bird seed, fruit that has fallen off trees, and accessible trash bins will attract rodents to your home.

Water sources are another attractant. A drippy spigot, a backyard bird bath, or even clogged gutters let rodents know that they will find a ready source of water when they are at your house. 

When rodents see any of these things around the outside of your house, they're more likely to spend time close to your house. The longer they stay close by, the more likely they are to find a way inside your house. Even a tiny hole the size of a dime is big enough to allow a mouse to get into your home, and rats only need an opening the size of a nickel. 

How You Can Reduce Rodent Activity Around Your Rochester Home

Rodent prevention starts with knowing what attracts rodents to your house. When you know this, you can take steps to get rid of the things around your house that might attract rodents. This will make your home less appealing to rodents and less likely to encourage rodent activity.

By keeping your lawn well-maintained, you can avoid a lot of trouble with rodents. Trim your grass regularly, clear branches and leaf litter off your lawn, and cut back branches on trees and bushes that touch your house. If possible, consider removing landscaping elements that might allow rodents to hide, such as rock walls. Store wood piles away from your house.

Removing food and water sources from your property also goes a long way in making your house less appealing to pests. Don't leave pet food outside, remove bird feeders, and pick up fallen fruit. If you eat outdoors regularly, make sure you clean up completely after a meal. Keep trash stored in bins with tightly fitting lids and store it away from your house. Repair leaky spigots and water pipes. Get rid of bird baths and other areas of standing water. Clean out clogged gutters.

Another thing to do to reduce rodent activity is to make it as difficult as possible for rodents to get into your house. Seal cracks and crevices in your foundation. Repair holes and gaps in your siding and around windows and doors. Place rodent-resistant mesh in the openings of downspouts. 

Got Rodents? Call RodentX

At the first signs of a rodent infestation, call RodentX. Rodent control in Rochester is essential if you want to avoid the extensive damage rodents can cause in your house and the diseases they can spread to your family. RodentX can take care of your rodent problem and make sure it won't come back. Contact us today.