We do not like sharing our homes with rodents. Why do we despise them so much? They carry disease, bacteria, fleas and mites. They leave droppings or urine throughout the house (I hope they stay away from my toothbrush). Rats and mice can also cause significant damage to our homes.
I know some people (including my niece) think they are adorable and have them as pets. I have offered my niece “special food” from my truck to feed her rats and she always declines my offer.
Rodents have adapted to living with humans. Living with us, they have all the necessities for survival, shelter, food and water (although if you have a cat their life is not as easy).
We see an increase in calls during the winter for rodent control. I guess their “fur coats” don’t keep them as warm outside as they would like.
To reduce the amount of rodents around our property we should stress their biology. By eliminating harborages around the house we make our property more hostile to them. To accomplish this, eliminate wood piles and other debris. Prune shrubs so you can see the trunk of the shrub and the ground beneath. Pick up fruit from trees that fall on the ground. Make sure doors are properly weather-stripped. Seal any openings around the house. If a hole is big enough to insert your little finger a mouse can enter there. If a hole is big enough to insert your thumb a rat can enter there.
We have an assortment of tools at our disposal to solve any rodent problems you may experience.