Fall is when rodents are most likely to come in looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Many people, when they notice signs of a potential rodent problem will try to tackle it themselves. That’s when these DIY rodent control mistakes are likely to happen.

DIY Mistake #1 – Placing a few traps around and waiting for the rodents to get caught in them. Placing traps is fine but if you don’t address how the rodents are getting into your home, you’re going to be waiting on traps for quite a while. Make sure to seal cracks and holes outside the home–no matter how small–that could be letting them in.

DIY Mistake #2 – Installing ultrasonic pest repelling devices. These devices simply don’t work. They might seem to work initially but ultimately, rodents adapt to them in the long-term.

DIY Mistake #3 – Baiting a trap with cheese. Rodents are much more likely to go for seeds and peanut butter than for cheese. Plus, cheese gets rotten and moldy quickly and can begin to smell.

DIY Mistake #4 – Using mothballs or scented repellents/essential oils. While mice are sensitive to smells, these smells could keep them out of a closet but are not likely to keep them out of a larger room or an entire house. Yes, even peppermint oil won’t deter them beyond a small closed area.

DIY Mistake #5 – Trying to trap rats like mice. Mice are curious little creatures, whereas rats are cautious and alarmed by anything new. The sudden appearance of a trap, even baited with food, will be too new and alarming to a rat. A mouse will be curious enough to check out the bait without much hesitation.

DIY Mistake #6 – Poison. Poisoning rodents is never a good idea. First, poison is hazardous to your children and pets, who could get into it and accidentally get poisoned themselves. Second, once the rodent eats the poison, it can hide out anywhere while it dies–including inside your walls. As the rodent decays, the smell will permeate your house and you’ll end up having a professional removal crew out to rip out walls and find the dead animal.

If you believe you have a rodent problem, call Pee Dee Wildlife Control. We have the resources to properly trap and remove all different types of rodents and other critters that try to move in with you for the winter.