When a mouse or rat decides to visit, it's rarely seen. Usually, evidence that they have invaded your home is through finding chewed holes in boxes and bags of dry goods in a pantry, or dog food and grass seed bags in the garage. Rodents have been known to chew threw electrical wiring, causing expensive repairs, or even causing fires. Many times, it's their droppings (feces) that are noticed first. But the true danger in a mouse or rat's visit is often invisible. Various diseases, including the Hantavirus, are transmitted by the accidental inhalation of dust from a rodent's dried urine.

The most effective pest control a rodent population in your home is prevention. With a little bit of garage cleaning, yard work and caulking, you can avoid the major hassle of extensive cleanup that is necessary, even if only one or two mice have a party in your pantry.

Rats and mice cause serious damage to all kinds of structures if they are allowed access to them. Damage by rodents has been documented in homes, apartments, hotels, office complexes, retail businesses, manufacturing facilities, food processing and warehouse facilities, public utility operations (especially power and electronic media operations), farm and feed storage buildings, and other structures.

In urban settings, rodents most often cause damage to older, inner-city buildings and utilities in poor repair. New housing developments may experience commensal rodent problems, but problems are more noticeable in neighborhoods 10 to 12 years of age or older. Ornamental plantings, accumulation of refuse, woodpiles, and other such sources of harborage and food are more quickly invaded and occupied by rodents when adjacent to an established rodent habitat.

The most effective means of limiting rodent damage is rodent-proof construction. New buildings should be designed and built to prevent rodent entry. Rodent-proofing is a good investment. Designing and constructing a rodent-proof building is less expensive than adding rodent-proofing later. Nevertheless, poor maintenance or management practices, such as leaving entry doors and unscreened windows open, will make the best constructed building susceptible to rodent entry. Techniques discussed here apply both to new construction and to the modification of existing structures.

Physical Barriers/Guards. To prevent rodents from climbing or traveling along a particular route, install guards made of sheet metal or similar materials (Table 1). Guards must be wide enough and positioned to keep rodents from reaching their outer margins by climbing or jumping. Dock areas may need guards to keep rodents from jumping or climbing from foundations, pipes, steps, or rough exterior wall surfaces, and from infesting trucks or rail cars transporting goods. A sheet metal band attached to a wall will prevent rodents from climbing.

Permanent Bait/Census Stations. Another method that can be used to prevent the build-up of rodent populations is the installation of permanent rodent service access areas around the exterior of buildings. These cupboard- type areas can be built at ground level into walls or foundations near loading docks, trash areas, near utility service panels, corners, or rear alleys. The stations should be large enough to contain an automatic multiple-capture mouse t and a bait station containing toxic baits. Placebo baits can be used to monitor rodent population pressure.

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