How to rodent proof your home

in Advice from your Agent

Colorado River Toads sound like mating goats. Here’s how you can avoid them and other pests in Southern Arizona.

TURN OFF OUTSIDE LIGHTS AT NIGHT

It’s particularly fashionable to leave your landscaping lights on at night. Most animals and virtually all insects are attracted to light.One of the easiest things you can do is turn off your outdoor lights at night.

INSPECT HOME FOR HOLES

Walk exterior of home. Look for holes where insects and rodents could potentially enter your home. Pay careful attention to:

  • Eves and their vents. May want to upgrade vents with smaller screens.
  • Sill plate. Note: has weep edge to drain water on stucco home.
  • Door sweeps and seals where daylight shows through.
  • Garage door trim.
  • Vent screens on roof gables.
  • Valleys, seems, joints, and vents on roof.
  • Decorative trim along man doors.
  • Screens on combustion, dyer, and oven vents.
  • And other potential areas for holes.

KEEP MOISTURE AWAY FROM FOUNDATION

Plants and irrigation systems near your foundation draw moisture. Moisture attracts bugs, pests, and rodents. Remove any plants within arms length of your foundation. Additionally remove trees and bushes close to cement work (sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc). Their roots have potential to damage these hard surfaces.

We recommend rock boarders. These help drain water away from your hardscaping. They look great keeping up your curb appeal.

PROPERLY DRAINING LOT

Your lot should drain water away from your house. There should be no pooling of water in your yard. Especially near the foundation.

Most lots have drains either in the block fences or the backyard gates. Make sure these drains are clear of debris.

You should also be able to see a grade in the level of your lot. This creates a path for the water to first flow away from your house and second off your lot. That grade should clearly drain to the street or a drainage area near your home.

DEBRIS FREE SILL PLATE

The sill plate is where your exterior walls meet the foundation. Debris makes it easier for pests gain access to your home through the sill plate and for harder to treat for pests.

Appraisers may require the sill plate be clear of debris before a buyer can finance the transaction. A 3 to 4 inch section of foundation below the plate must be kept clear of debris (including landscaping).

Some older homes don’t have a visible sill plate. Make sure the landscaping is blow the grade of the floor inside the house. Otherwise the yard will drain water into the walls of the house and mold will grow in the wall(s).

FOUNDATION CRACKS

Insects can gain access to home through cracks in the foundation.

Most every foundation has cracks around the plumbing drains if not in additional areas.

Builders leave a small gap between the drain and the foundation when building so they can adjust the drain a little after pouring the slab. This gap is filled in after adjusting the drain. However, it tends to crack there and bugs gain access.

Newer foundations are monolithic, meaning made in one pour without seams or gaps. They may even use post tension rods to increase the strength of the slab and keep it from cracking.

Many older foundations are created in sections / multiple pours. One such technique is an infill foundation. There they pour the footer / stem wall. This is where the load bearing walls will go. The builder lets that set up, then they pour the slab between those walls.

This creates a seam and potential area for bugs to enter the home. Many will already have expansion foam in them.

You may like to seal these cracks with caulk should you find them. However, likely you’ll have to periodically treat these areas with chemicals design for inside the home.

NEST PROOF YOUR HOME

Inspect pop outs on your exterior walls. You may additionally have exposed beams to inspect. Anywhere they can perch a nest on your house. Birds, rats, mice, and other rodents love to nest on those. Install bird spikes there. These make it difficult if not impossible for them to construct a nest.

Some houses have seams where two pitches meet on the roof. These sometimes lead to impressions and cavities where rodents can nest. Plug those areas appropriately.

KEEP YARD FREE OF DEBRIS

Organic debris such as leaves and seed pods are a food source for rodents. You’ll want to keep that stuff cleaned up.

Additionally, kid’s play structures, plastic bins, tool sheds, and toys create more areas for pests to take hold.

Keep your yard clean.

INSPECT YARD SPIGOTS

Make sure no there are no leaks. Also look at where the hose is stored. These can be sources of water which attract pests. Many times you can see a termite tube right there if you have an issue. The water also dilutes and washes away any pest treatments you may have.

SEAL DRAINS IN VACANT HOME

Close all your plumbing drains. Then buy zip lock bags. Fill them with water. Place over drains in showers and sinks. Lastly, get plastic food wrap. Wrap shut your toilet bowls and reservoirs. This helps slow evaporation, creates a virtually impenetrable bug barrier, and traps in odours should sewer gases leak through.

Lizards and other ideas

You may spot little borrows in your yard. These can be lizard dens. You maybe scared of Lizards but I LOVE them. I am careful of those dens when I see them. That is because lizards eat the bugs and they eat lots of them. Having a few lizards in the yard can make the difference between an infestation of bugs and no bugs at all.

There are countless contraptions and chemicals you can buy. I’m sure you may have tested a few of them. I’d love to hear what you have done to keep the bugs away from your home.