Did you know that rodents are attracted to your home garden? While mice and rats enter homes to nest in colder weather, they also burrow in garden areas in warm seasons. A professional pest control specialist can perform a rodent inspection to assess infestation issues and to help eliminate pests from your property. Truly Nolen also recommends you take steps to make your garden space less attractive to these industrious creatures. Here are some prevention tips that keep critters away.

Check for Signs of Rodents

Rats and mice are nocturnal animals, so you won’t often catch them running around in the daytime. They are also great at concealing their dens. They are creatures of habit that take the same pathways as they go about their activities. Check for these signs to see if you have a rodent problem:

• Droppings: Mice and rats leave a lot of fecal waste as they travel between places. Moist looking droppings are a sign of recent activity.
• Garbage and compost piles: Garbage piles are great places to hide. Compost areas provide nourishment so look for chewed or discarded bits of food scattered nearby.
• Grassy mounds: They will use grass clippings and other garden materials to make nests. Their dens may appear like small, barely perceptible knolls.
• Food bits: Food harbourage is a well-known rodent practice. You may notice a pile of food scraps near mice and rat dens.
• Tracks: Rodents use their sense of smell to move around at night, and they mostly follow previously used trails. Check for track marks along banks, hedgerows and walls.
• Chewed materials: They chew constantly to sharpen their teeth. Nibbles or bite marks on fences and wood stakes are a sure sign you have garden guests.
• Rub marks: As rodents crawl through tight spaces, their coats pick up oils and dirt. You might observe visible smear marks on walls, stone and posts.

Prevention is the best strategy for rodent control.

Keep Rodents Away

Mice and rats are primarily attracted to gardens because of readily available food sources and denning opportunities. Here are some practical ideas to keep these pests away:

• Keep your yard clean: Lawn clippings and other debris are great resources for building nests. Bag up yard waste and get rid of it promptly.
• Plant peppermint or herbs: These are natural deterrents. Mice and rats do not appreciate the strong scents. Plant some around the perimeter or put it in pots for a line of defence.
• Install solar-powered repellers: Rodents have extraordinary hearing capabilities. The sound waves and vibrations scare them off and provide an eco-friendly source of protection.
• Get composting bins: Open compost piles attract animals. A sealed bin is a great way to break down refuse quickly without drawing a hungry crowd.
• Use bird feeders: Birdfeed spread on the ground is appealing to many creatures. Use feeders to keep a tidy yard.
• Build a fence: Fences deter animals from garden areas. Unfortunately, wood is easily chewed through by rodents, so using a combination of preventatives is the best plan.

Professional pest control is necessary when mice invade or infest your garden.

Watch for These Types of Rodents

There are four common types of rodents found in Ontario gardens:

1. Deer mice
2. House mice
3. Meadow voles (field mice)
4. Rats (brown and black)

The hantavirus is a serious lung infection spread through waste droppings. It is important to rid your garden of these pests, so you are not exposed to this disease.

Choose Professional Pest Control

Truly Nolen Niagara offers the best in pest control services with our pro-active Four Seasons approach. We provide a range of rodent-control services, such as exclusion, nest removal and trapping. Contact us today to schedule a rodent inspection!