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Keeping Pests Out: Rodent-Proofing Your Brainerd Rental Home

Home inspector checking the foundation for openings to avoid rodents.
In the middle of extreme weather conditions, unwanted pests such as rodents can become a substantial issue for rental homes. As soon as the weather gets cold, rodents go in search of warmth and a stable food supply, making homes a captivating shelter. Conversely, during hot weather, rodents may invade residential areas going after water, creating a higher infestation risk. If so, with their ever available food and water sources, our homes can be very appealing to rodents like mice, squirrels, rats, and other pests.

Eliminate items attractive to pests

Keeping your rental home free of pests can be totally stressful, nevertheless, a few basic actions can go a long way in maintaining a rodent-free space. It’s very important to take proactive approaches to eliminate potential food sources that might pull in these rather unwanted guests. Properly storing and disposing of food and waste and keeping your living space clean and tidy are principal ways to prevent infestations.

 

Always keep in mind to promptly remove or securely store pet food, bird seed, grass seed, and fallen fruit from fruit trees in sturdy plastic containers with firmly sealed lids to avoid attracting pests for example rodents, insects, and other animals.

Seal entry points around the home

Another fundamental 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 assessed routinely to keep the seals intact.

 

Soaking cotton balls with peppermint oil and placing them where small bugs possibly may enter is a natural remedy that has been reported to work well (doing this further leaves an amazing smell).

 

If you feel responsible to provide pest control to your residents (several states do not require owners of single-family homes to provide pest control, so look to your local statutes) and natural approaches aren’t keeping the pests out, you may need to employ traps or hire an exterminator to handle the problem. Obviously, using traps, poisons, or other action plans poses significant risks to residents and their pets unless used selectively and rightly.

Maintain regular rodent-proofing

As a property owner, incorporating rodent-proofing to your long list of weatherizing tasks may suggest one heavy responsibility too many. Nevertheless, it’s primal to be mindful that regular maintenance is key to keeping your property rodent-free. It can be quite daunting to always keep in mind to check the foundations and eaves of each property and monitor the home for its dealing with potential pest-attracting food sources, except it’s a burden that can’t be really neglected.

 

You could attend to all these tasks yourself, or you could deputize and charge them to Real Property Management Deluxe. Our comprehensive property management programs not only keep rodents out but also see to the overall integrity of your property, keeping your residents joyful and your investment surely secure. Contact us online or call us at 218-454-7962 today and learn about all of our property management services.

 

Originally Published on September 28, 2018

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