Finding rodents in your house can cause panic and make you feel frustrated. Apart from being a nuisance, mice and rats are severe health hazards. Such rodents can contaminate food and surfaces and spread diseases. Also, they can cause serious damage to your property. As a homeowner, you may want to try to handle the issue yourself first; however, pest control experts at romneypestcontrol.com have seen firsthand why DIY control methods against rodents do not succeed.
A lot of people try to deal with a rodent infestation by themselves, thinking that store-bought traps and baits can solve the issue. But although DIY solutions can offer temporary relief, they usually fail to address the underlying cause. Here are the reasons for such failure:
Incomplete Solutions
DIY rodent control products only scratch the surface. The majority of store-bought products concentrate on eliminating visible rodents. Glue boards, traps, and poison baits offer the false impression that people are solving the issue after catching a mouse or two. But this is usually not the case.
Rodents are prolific breeders. For instance, a pair of mice can bring hundreds of young mice into this world in just one year. For each mouse trap used, dozens of mice may be hiding in walls, basements, or attics. Moreover, such undetected rodents can avoid detection for several months and continue to damage and multiply while homeowners think they have resolved the issue.
To effectively trap rodents, you should not just rely on traps. Effective rodent control is about eliminating the whole population and addressing the root cause of the issue. Over-the-counter poisons and products are not made such a level of control. Pest control professionals will eliminate the visible rodents and address the bigger issue by identifying their nests, hidden spots, and food sources.
Entry Point Misidentification
With DIY rodent control methods, you may misidentify or overlook rodent entry points. Rodents are quite resourceful in terms of entering your house. They can squeeze through tiny holes. Thus, a small crack in the foundation, unsealed vent, and gaps around pipes can give them access.
Sadly, you may not know where to find such entry points. While you may seal obvious openings around doors and windows, you can miss less visible openings without a comprehensive inspection. No matter how well-maintained your home may be, it has vulnerabilities that can only be spotted by a trained eye. For instance, soffits, vents, and rooflines are entry points you may overlook. Without sealing such entry points properly, rodents can find their way inside, no matter the number of traps or baits you have set out.
Improper Trap and Bait Use
Although rodent traps and baits can effectively control a rodent issue, misusing them can cause your DIY effort to fail. Placing a few tarps in random spots will not yield the desired results. Rodents usually follow certain pathways behind furniture or along walls. If traps are not placed in high-traffic areas, you may be wasting effort and time.
Moreover, you may underestimate the severity of the rodent issue. If you only set a few traps for a big infestation, you won’t make enough progress. Pest control professionals will strategically place rodent traps and baits according to the behavior of rodents, making sure they catch many of them in only a short amount of time.
In addition, the kind of bait used must be considered. Inappropriate or low-quality baits may attract rodents but do not kill them. In fact, they can lure the pests deeper into the house. Even if you use poison baits correctly, they still pose risks to kids and pets when not handled properly.