How to enjoy a mouse and rat-free winter in Toronto? Pest control tips for rodent-free living in Toronto.

As temperatures begin to cool down, rodents start their search for a warm place to survive the biting cold of Canadian cities. Toronto residents need to take precautions to keep the mice and rats out of their homes. The job, however, involves a year-round effort. 

First of all, backyards need to be kept clean and tidy. Junk and excessive vegetation can invite rodents from far away and will offer them an opportunity to thrive in your yard and around your home.  

In the Fall, make sure to rake the lawn regularly and remove any dead vegetation from the ground. Make sure to get rid of the junk. Especially refrain from storing junk close to the house. Tires, unused patio furniture, and large TV and appliance boxes can provide a suitable home not only to mice and rats but also a comfortable summer nest to raccoons, skunks, and other urban wildlife. Keeping the surrounding of a house clean does not only improve the aesthetics of the building but also brings you one big step closer to enjoying a rodent-free home.

Another significant step towards a rodent-free living is to have a licensed and certified pest control company install professional rodent bait stations around the exterior perimeter of the house. These bait stations will exterminate the rats and mice before they can make their way into your home by chewing and breaking through the exterior walls. 

Mice and rats often gain access by targeting the preexisting holes and enlarging the ones that are slightly small for them to fit. They will often target the vulnerable parts of the exterior walls, such as those made of plastic and wood. Doors, windows, vent covers and vinyl sidings are the most common potential entry points around a house. Some large masonry weep-holes also provide ample space for the smaller rodents to get in. Homeowners will need to hire a professional rodent exterminator to identify the weak spots around the house and carry out the necessary rodent-proofing work. 

Also, it is crucial to reduce the rodents' food supply inside and outside the building. Outside the building, homeowners should prevent the rodents from entering into the garbage bins. Another common mistake is leaving food in the backyard overnight. The leftovers from a late-night barbeque will invite critters into the yard and leave them lingering around for many weeks. Inside the house, the most important things are keeping the kitchen clean and food stored in rodent-proof plastic containers. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight will provide the smaller rodents with an ample food supply. It will be much easier to keep mice out of a house or prevent an infestation from getting out of control if homes are kept clean and organized. 

What about the mice that are already inside the house? Mice are among the fastest-growing pests. Snap traps and glue boards will often prove inefficient and slow when trying to control mice. Customers will need regulated rodenticides that only licensed exterminators can carry. The key is to hire an exterminator who has access to the industry's best rodenticides. An experienced exterminator should know how to choose and apply the most effective products by carefully studying rodent activity and site-specific factors. One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced and poorly-equipped pest control operators is choosing the wrong rodenticide. 

TSR Pest and Wildlife Control specializes in rodent control and rodent-proofing services and offers free estimates to residents of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas. Please call us at 416-268-3408 or use our online quote tool.