Rodent Reduction

Rodents, like many other pests, can never be completely eliminated. Listed below are steps you can take to control the rodent population in your neighborhood.

  1. Eliminate all junk, litter, trash, and debris from your property.
  2. Keep vegetation cut down and reasonably controlled. Remove pine straw or leaves.
  3. Do not store old items in your yard such as: appliances, broken items, and woodpiles.
  4. Any wood kept in a yard should be neatly cut and stacked off the ground.
  5. Do not allow pet food to sit out for over 30 minutes at a time when you feed pets. Keep bulk pet food in a garbage can with a tight fitting lid.
  6. Keep animal feces cleaned up out of the yard.
  7. Get rid of any old vehicles sitting on your property that aren’t driven regularly.
  8. NEVER put upholstered (fabric) furniture, old mattresses, clothes, or anything made of fabric anywhere but inside the house.
  9. Garages, carports, and storage sheds should be cleaned regularly and all items stored there should be kept neat and orderly. Check these areas for signs of rodent droppings.
  10. All household garbage should be stored in plastic garbage bags and then put into garbage cans with tight fitting lids until your day for garbage pick­up. Never let garbage accumulate beyond your regularly scheduled garbage collection day.
  11. Keep bulk foods in your home put away in a container with a tight fitting lid.
  12. Encourage your neighbors to take an active part in eliminating rodent activity.
  13. When rodent droppings or gnawings are observed in or around your home, baits and/or traps can be used. Always use any rodent baits according to label directions and keep out of reach of children and pets.
Working together, we can greatly reduce rodent activity in our neighborhoods.