As the brisk days of autumn move in, it’s time to start thinking about how you will keep cold weather pests like rodents out. 

Rodents move indoors during the cooler months in search of food and more moderate temperatures.  Among the most destructive vertebrates in existence, mice and rats can chew through wood, plaster and electrical wiring and damage the structure of your home. 

Rodents can also pose serious health threats – transmitting disease causing organisms through urine, droppings and bites.  Mice can carry and transmit more than 40 disease-causing viruses and bacteria, including Hantavirus and Salmonella. 

• To prevent mice and rats from taking up residence in your home, reduce the entry points, as well as food and water sources while it is still warm outside.  Not only can firmly closed doors and windows deter rodents they can also keep the heat inside your home.  Make sure garage doors close flush to the ground and keep them shut when not in use. 
  
  
• Use weather-resistant foam sealant or caulk to eliminate unnecessary openings in the exterior of your home.  Rodents will gnaw around small cracks and crevices to enlarge them, so seal any openings larger than the diameter of a pencil!
  
  
• Trim back vegetation, which can provide shelter to rodents, at least half a meter from the side of your home.
  
  
• Keep firewood stacked away from your home and more than 30 centemeters off the ground to minimize potential nesting sites.  Promptly remove any rotting logs. 
  
  
• Ensure that all roof and siding junctures seal securely to help prevent rodents from squeezing in through an open flap.
  
  
• Keep food sources, including pet food and garbage, in tightly sealed containers.