In most instances, rodents like rats and mice are pests, not pets, which you will agree with.  So, you use commercially available rodenticide to kill off the critters and prevent the spread of rodent-borne diseases like typhus.

On the downside, the collateral damage upon the environment, your pets and your health often will not justify the use of these rat poisons.  For example, your cats and dogs can develop fatal health problems once they ingest the rat poison.  Plus, rodenticides pose deadly threats to aquatic environments and may even end up in your drinking water!  It’s a good thing then that there are eco-friendly and cost-friendly rodent measures you can adopt.

Fill In the Gaps

Rodents are very good at squeezing their lithe bodies through the smallest of cracks.  In fact, just a quarter of an inch hole in a wall will allow countless mice access to your kitchen and, from there, your house!  Thus, it is very important to fill in the gaps in your house especially those at floor levels.  For brick homes, you have to ensure that the expansion joints are well-covered with sealant.  Or you can also use crumpled chicken wire as well as steel/copper wool that will allow for brick expansion and still seal out the rodents.

Keep It Clean

Rodents are infamous for inhabiting the dirtiest areas of the house and its premises, especially the kitchen.  As such, you have to keep your yard and house as clean and clear as possible.  Dispose of piles of debris, remove fallen fruit from under the trees, check under rocks and logs for nests, sweep your kitchen clean, and basically, don’t try to be an unreasonable pack rat.  You have to strike a balance between sentimentality and practicality.  Also, keeping your garbage in metal cans instead of plastic cans will keep most rodents at bay.  Of course, you have to always keep it securely covered to prevent rodents from having a fiesta in said metal cans.  This also goes true for your recycling bins.

Pet Control

If you have pets in the house, you can take measures not to attract pests, too.  Pet food leftovers should not be left out in the yard or in the house overnight.  Empty and clean containers as soon as your pets stop feeding to prevent rodents feasting on the scraps and crumbs.  Since rodents need very little food to survive, cleaning food containers provides no reason for them to hang around and become, well, pests.  And if you want to employ the natural prey and predator relationship among animals, get a pet.  The choice about getting a cat or a dog is really up to you but Jack Russell terriers are great at catching mice so you might as well get one of these breed.

Use Alternative Methods

When all else fails to keep rodents away, well, revert to caveman mode although in an eco-friendly way – use traps!  Peanut butter is great bait so you might as well put it to use.  If you don’t want to deal with the icky creatures, call your local pest control company to use their ultrasound and electric zappers on the critters.  At least, you need not worry about humanely disposing of these pests!

And so, you helped the environment and you helped yourself, too, when you abstained from chemical rodenticides!