On extreme weather conditions, unwanted pests such as rodents can become a huge issue for rental homes. When the weather gets cold, rodents look for warmth and a stable food supply, making homes a fascinating shelter. At other times, during hot weather, rodents may invade residential areas searching for water, surging up the infestation risk. Thus, with very easy as well as available food and water sources, our homes can be very appealing to rodents for instance mice, squirrels, rats, and other pests.
Eliminate items attractive to pests
Keeping your rental home free of pests can be a pain, except a few basic actions can go a long way in maintaining a rodent-free space. It’s salient to take proactive approaches to eliminate potential food sources that might draw in these rather unwanted guests. Properly storing and disposing of food and waste and keeping your living space clean and tidy are very important ways to prevent infestations.
Always make certain to very quickly remove or securely store pet food, bird seed, grass seed, and fallen fruit from fruit trees in sturdy plastic containers with compactly sealed lids to avoid attracting pests, by way of example rodents, insects, and other animals.
Seal entry points around the home
Another major task to keep rodents out is to seal all potential entry points around the home’s foundation, eaves, and soffits. Any gaps or holes should be filled with steel mesh, caulk, or plaster and checked often to keep the seals intact.
Soaking cotton balls with peppermint oil and placing them where small bugs could plausibly enter is a natural remedy that has been reported to work well (this step also actually leaves a great smell).
If you feel liable to provide pest control to your residents (some states do not require owners of single-family homes to provide pest control, so look to your local statutes) and natural techniques aren’t keeping the pests out, you may need to simply resort to traps or hire an exterminator to handle the problem. Without a doubt, using traps, poisons, or other ideas pose significant risks to residents and their pets unless used selectively and accurately.
Maintain regular rodent-proofing
As a property owner, having rodent-proofing added to your long list of weatherizing tasks may come across as one heavy responsibility too many. Still, it’s helpful to always keep in mind that regular maintenance is key to keeping your property rodent-free. It can be grueling to ascertain to check the foundations and eaves of each property and monitor the home for its sorting out potential pest-attracting food sources, but it’s really a task that can’t be easily overlooked.
You could work on all these tasks yourself, or you could give them to Real Property Management Metro. Our comprehensive property management programs not only keep rodents out but also ascertain the overall integrity of your property, keeping your residents comfortable and your investment guarded. Contact us online or call us at 443-718-9832 today and learn about all of our property management services.
Originally Published on September 28, 2018
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