How to get rid of mice and rats

Having a problem with mice and rats in your home can be cause for concern, but there are many things you can do to get rid of the rodents and make sure they are gone forever. If you are not looking to harm any animals but simply don't want them to share your home, there are many harmless and long-term deterrent solutions that are completely safe and will not cause harm to your children, pets or pet. pest.

Remove callout elements

The key to keeping your home and garden free of pests is to get rid of the garbage. You can also get rid of existing rodents, but they will come back for more if your home or garden is a source of food or shelter for them. Garbage should be kept in a secure container, with the lid closed. Food should not be left out for other animals. Bird feeding should be placed in specialized containers and never on the ground. Likewise, tidying up the bottom of a fruit tree is a useful activity to prevent rodents.

Remove the habitat

Overgrown gardens provide a source of refuge in which many pests thrive. It is worth checking for holes that rodents will use as a nest.

Secure your home

Rodents are both experienced and extremely agile climbers, able to enter through small cracks from the foundation to the attic. So it's worth checking out the building including the attic.

Ultrasonic Deterrents

Ultrasonic devices are the most effective method of ridding your home of rodents. Unlike traps and poisons, which only make room for new rodents and at worst, can serve as a refuge for new parasites, ultrasonic devices work as a permanent deterrent. They also allow you to avoid getting close to different types of rodents and avoid handling dead and diseased carcasses.

Ultrasound devices work by emitting ultrasounds that are imperceptible to humans, but very annoying for rodents, who use these frequencies to listen to predators and consequently the impulses cause them to leave the area. Primrose has sold tens of thousands of units, with our best-selling model receiving nearly 2,000 reviews, with a success rate of over 98%. We also have a battery-powered model, perfect for attics and outbuildings, which has an average rating of 4.2 out of over 400 reviews.

Unlike traps and poisons, it is best to install a device before sealing the house, leaving a space for rodents to escape.

Kind of rodents

If you have to use traps or poisons, it can be helpful to know the different types of rodents.

Two species of rat are likely to enter your home, the black rat and the brown rat (Norwegian, cellar rat). The former is significantly smaller and more agile and will haunt the upper levels of buildings. The latter, on the other hand, is much more likely to stick to the lower levels. With mice, the species most likely to enter your home is the house mouse, which is even more agile than the brown rat. 

The different types can be identified by their droppings with the brown rat between 1.5-2 cm, the black rat up to 1.5 cm and mice less than 0.75 cm. Since mice are significantly lighter than rats, you are unlikely to hear them.

All rodents can survive on a low calorie amount, but mice can survive without water and will multiply rapidly, producing up to 8 litters per year with a gestation period of 30 days. It is for these reasons that you cannot afford to wait, but must act quickly.

Traps and poisons

Unlike ultrasonic deterrents, it is important to seal the house before using traps and poisons, which can act as attractants.

There are three types of traps: snap, electric and glue. Snap and electric traps are the most "humane" and usually kill instantly. Glue traps are extremely effective due to the attractants. Traps have an advantage over poisons in that carcasses are located in the vicinity of the trap, while poisoned rodents can be difficult to find.

Poisons have an advantage in that they can be used in common areas, as long as they are secured in bait, safe from pets and children. It is necessary to use different active ingredients for different situations. Alchloralose is a must for mice, while both difenacoum and brodifacoum can be used for rats, although the latter should not be used in areas with non-target species.

For more information on poisons, read our blog post here.

Rodents initially wary of novelty, so traps and poisons take some time to take effect. Rodent Tracker Powder can be used to identify where rodents are coming from, which helps place traps.

Be sure to use gloves when handling dead rodents and use bags for the disposal of rodent carcasses.