Rats and mice will be more likely to invade your home if you own six everyday items
As the summer season comes to an end, you may observe heightened rodent activity surrounding your property. This happens because they're searching for warm locations to set up their dwellings during the cold winter period.
With this in consideration, it might be the right moment to start removing items from your property that draw these uninvited guests to guarantee your home remains both rat and mouse-free for the rest of the year. There are numerous ways that your property could be appealing to these pests.
Frederic de Ryckman de Betz, CEO of HOLD Self Storage, explains: "People usually don't realise that the way they store everyday items can turn their homes into pest magnets. Mice and rats are opportunistic and looking for three things: food, shelter, and nesting materials."
Pet food and birdseed.
"Pet food is probably the biggest culprit I see," says Frederic. "People store massive bags in garages where the packaging gets damaged. Mice can chew through plastic bags in minutes, but you'll also attract ants, cockroaches, and rats.", reports the Mirror.
Rather than this approach, he recommends keeping pet food in sealed metal or robust plastic containers with secure lids. These containers should then be positioned away from the floor and kept in a moisture-free section of the home.
Cardboard boxes.
Abandoned cardboard boxes serve as premium nesting material for mice and rats, whilst also drawing insects such as silverfish and cockroaches. After you've unpacked any deliveries, make certain to put the boxes in the recycling instead of utilising them for storage purposes.
Seasonal decorations Frederic cautions: "I've seen people pull out Christmas decorations only to find mouse droppings and moth damage. Fabric items attract clothes moths and carpet beetles too."
To prevent pests from establishing themselves in your storage areas or damaging your decorations, the expert recommends keeping them in sealed plastic containers and including cedar balls as natural deterrents.
Old newspapers and magazines.
It's not only rats and mice that can make their homes in your accumulated piles of newspapers and magazines; these publications also attract insects such as silverfish and booklice. This occurs because paper materials absorb odours and dampness, making them particularly attractive to unwanted creatures.
If you're hesitant to discard your old publications, keep them in a secure plastic container, or consider digitising any important content and recycling the physical versions.
Pantry overflow.
"Kitchen pantries are goldmines for all sorts of pests," Frederic reveals. "One small hole in a cereal box can feed a mouse family for weeks, but you'll also attract ants, weevils, and pantry moths."
Ensure any remaining items, including cereal boxes, pasta, and snacks, are moved into glass or robust plastic containers with airtight seals.
Craft supplies and fabric.
Craft materials may frequently be forgotten during cleaning and organising, but they can become a sanctuary for pests, especially clothes moths and carpet beetles. To stop pests from establishing their home amongst your crafts, keep any materials in transparent, sealed containers.
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