Hidden ways you feed and attract rodents
Even though you go to great lengths to keep rodents away from your home, you could be inadvertently welcoming them by not being careful enough with leftover food. Here are some common foods that rodents eat and ways to keep these pests away.
Foods That Bring Rats into Your Yard
Open garbage cans are a rodent’s favorite place to snack. These places are filled with all kinds of foods, especially old meat and scraps of cooked goodies. As these items begin to rot, they become extremely appealing to gluttonous rodents. To avoid these problems, it’s important to seal all garbage in a closed plastic container.
Fruits and berries that fall to the ground from trees in the yard will attract mice and rats as well. To stop attracting these vermin, it’s important to rake up and collect any fruit that has fallen. The only way to totally eliminate the problem is to remove these types of trees from the landscape.
Foods That Bring Rodents into Your House
After rodents have found their way into your house from cracks in the walls or foundation, they will eat anything that’s available, especially cereal grains, rice, potatoes, and carrots. Cereal in cardboard boxes is an easy target, as are open potato sacks. To keep rodents from feeding on weekly groceries, it’s wise to place cereal, other grains, fruits, and vegetables in sealed plastic containers.
Animal Food That Attracts Rodents
Birdseed and dog food may also become a party feast for rodents. Since birds are usually messy eaters, they scatter seeds all over the ground, which become a treat for mice and rats. These pests will also feed directly from a bird feeder. To prevent this from occurring, you should use a rodent-proof feeder.
Rodents also eat dog food that’s left out in the open or kept in unsealed bags. To keep rodents away, it’s imperative to properly dispose of leftover dog food and place opened bags in sealed plastic containers.
No one wants ugly and dangerous rodents invading the home. These pests can make you sick and damage your home’s wood or electrical system. To keep your house safe from an infestation, it will be helpful to follow the above tips. If there’s still a problem, you should consider contacting ABC Home & Commercial Services for expert rodent control services in the Austin area.