Rodent Control in Atlanta Georgia: Avoiding Rats and Mice

If you’ve ever had an infestation of rats or mice in the past, then you know that there’s good reason to avoid them in the future. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rats and mice transmit over 35 diseases worldwide. The best way to prevent exposure to these diseases, and to the general queasiness one might experience just upon seeing a rat or mouse, is to practice rodent control in Atlanta Georgia both inside and outside of the home.

The first step in rodent control in Atlanta Georgia to avoid these vermin is to check inside and around the house for gaps and holes. Mice and rats can squeeze into some of the smallest holes. So, inside the house, it’s important that you look at any corners for gaps or holes: around doors, the fireplace, inside closets, around any pipes such as those in the sinks and washing machine, inside the attic and anywhere the walls connect with the floors. Outside rodent control in Atlanta Georgia, you should look around any windows, doors, vents in the attic and crawl space, underneath doors and around intentional holes such as the holes for the electrical, cable and gas lines. Make sure to check the garage carefully as well.

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Once you identify small holes that these critters can access, fill the holes with steel wool and put caulk around it to hold it in place for complete rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. For larger holes, it would be advised to use cement, lath screen or metal, metal sheathing or hardware cloth. You should be able to find these materials at any hardware store.

Additionally for rodent control in Atlanta Georgia, you should set up a snap trap to reduce your rodent population. Snap traps are not one-size-fits all, however, since traps for catching mice versus rats are different. Read the instructions provided with the trap before setting the trap. When positioning the trap, put a little bit of peanut butter on the bait pan of the trap. Then place the snap trap against the wall so it forms a “T” with the wall. Since rats and mice don’t like being out in the open, they tend to run close to the walls, so this is the best location to place the traps for rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. The CDC opposes glue traps and live traps because these types of traps can scare rats and mice and make them urinate, increasing possible disease exposure for humans nearby.

Whether you’re at home or the workplace, you’ll also need to clean up any food sources for these vermin in order to maintain proper rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. Some of the things we do every day can have consequences. It’s easy to have a lapse in judgment and save cleaning up that spilled food for later, but starving the rodents is necessary for rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. In addition to cleaning up spilled food right away, also wash any dishes soon after you use them. Keep food in metal canisters or thick plastic bins. Make sure your garbage can has a tight lid and is made of thick plastic or metal. If you have a trash can inside the house, which most people do, you should wash it with soap and water often. Outside the house, keep grills clean. Position any bird feeders away from the house and make use of the squirrel guards. If you have a compost bin, keep it as far away from your home as possible.

Also to keep up your rodent control in Atlanta Georgia, take steps to ensure that nesting is not an option for any mice or rats. Keep woodpiles, hay and garbage cans 1 foot or more off the ground. Move woodpiles at least 100 feet away from the house. Clean up any clutter outside; old trucks, tires and cars can all be converted into homes by rodents. Keep all grass and shrubs cut and trimmed.

Finally, if you have a rodent infestation, you’ll need to clean up. Before cleaning up, there are a few precautions you’ll need to take. After trapping any mice or rats by sealing up all the entryways, continue setting up your snap traps for a week to confirm rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. In that time, if you haven’t caught any mice or rats, it’s safe to say that any diseases that could be transmitted through rodent urine or droppings is no longer infectious, and the immediate infestation is gone.

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The first step of cleaning up after a mouse or rat infestation is to cross-ventilate the area, leaving it to air out for at least 30 minutes to ensure rodent control in Atlanta Georgia. Do not sweep or vacuum, as it will stir up dust. Wear protective gloves and spray the area with a mixture of bleach and water or a disinfectant and let it all soak for 5 minutes. Then pick up the mouse or rat urine and droppings with a paper towel and throw it out in the garbage. Disinfect anything that might be contaminated to avoid further rodent control in Atlanta Georgia.

Next to make sure of excellent rodent control in Atlanta Georgia, you’ll need to mop the floors and clean all countertops. Wash all exposed bedding and clothing with laundry detergent in hot water, and shampoo any exposed upholstered carpets and furniture.

Latex, rubber or vinyl gloves are necessary to keep you protected when cleaning and disposing of any rodent droppings or rodents themselves. If you see a dead mouse or rat, spray the vermin with disinfectant, soak it in the solution for 5 minutes and place it in a tightly-sealed plastic bag. Then put the bag in a second sealed plastic bag and throw it out in a covered trash can. Remove the gloves and wash your hands with soap and water.

If you are dealing with a heavy rodent infestation, you should wear protective goggles, a respiratory protection device, rubber boots, protective gloves and coveralls (if possible, disposable). After clean-up, double-bag any waste material that might be infectious, label it as infectious and dispose of it according to local requirements for infectious waste and rodent control in Atlanta Georgia.

With some preparation, you can control your rodent population. If you have a mouse or rat infestation, taking these steps should ensure that there isn’t a “next time” and you are guaranteed rodent control in Atlanta Georgia.