How to Get Rid of Rodents In Your Home

Find out how to choose the right rodent products for your problem and use them effectively.

Getting rid of rodents in your home involves the use of products specifically designed for the removal of rodents and a change in daily living habits to stop mice and rats from coming back again. In this article, get all the information you need in order to get rid of rodents in the most effective way possible.

Common Types of Rodents in Canada

With many different types of rodents thriving in urban areas that can enter your home, the two most common types of rodents are rats and mice. Rats and mice are notorious for finding their way into your home, especially during the winter months when in search for a warm place to nest and scavenge for food and water.

Rats

The two most common species of rats that can be found in most Canadian homes are Roof Rats and Norway Rats. Both species of rats are capable of carrying hazardous pathogens into your home that originate from having lived in unsanitary conditions before finding their way into your living space. To learn more about rats, read our article to better understand how to identify rats in your home.

Mice

With 5 species that have been discovered across Canada, the House Mouse is the most commonly found species of mouse inside of homes. Although some House Mice are sold as pets, Wild House Mice have the potential to bring toxins into your home through their feces and urine while also having the ability to cause immense damage to the structure of your home if left unmanaged for too long.

For more information on the different types of mice species, read our article to learn more about how to identify a mouse problem in your home.

Signs of Rodents In Your Home

To better identify rodents, here are the most common signs of rodents inside and outside of your home:

Inside Your Home

Rodent droppings on the ground, especially in dark areas that are tucked away from humans and pets.
Rodent urine in similar areas that you would have identified droppings in. Fresh urine and dried up urine both have a very pungent smell that can easily be identified.
Food packaging that has been damaged and chewed through.
Squeaking and scratching sounds coming from inside your walls.
Pets are alert and paying unnatural attention to areas of your home such as ceilings and walls.
Chewed cables, baseboards and furniture.
Rearranged home insulation.

Outside of Your Home

Chewed up cables, outlets and pipes around the outer perimeter of your home.
Chew marks around cracks and corners of your home that can be used as entry points.
Rodent nests in corners of your home and near the garage.

For more information on signs of rodents in your home, read our article to learn all that you need to know about how to identify a rodent problem in your home.

How to Get Rid of Rodents

With having identified signs of rodent activity in your home and an understanding of what type of rodents you are dealing with, following these 6 steps will put you in the right direction towards getting rid of mice and rats in your living space:

Choose the Right Product: Whether you are dealing with an infestation of rodents, or wanting to kill a few, or if you decide to not kill any rodents at all, there is a rodent product to help get rid of mice and rats for your decision.
Place Products Properly: Identifying high traffic areas and spaces that you’ve suspected the rodents to be entering from are the best places to set rodent traps and stations.
Use a Mix of Products: Setting enough bait stations and traps in your home will ensure that you get rid of all mice and rats in your home.
Read Label Instructions Carefully: Product packaging for all traps and bait stations involve safety information and informative step-by-step instructions on how to properly use the product
Safely Secure Bait Blocks: Bait stations securely keep poisonous bait blocks in place and are designed to be tamper-free. For more information on bait blocks, read our article to get a complete guide to bait stations for rodents.
Eliminate Rodent Friendly Conditions: Keeping a clean and clutter-free home is a step in the right direction towards a rodent-free home.

Getting Rid of Rats: If you suspect rats are in your living space, read our article to get an in-depth look at how to get rid of rats in your home.

Getting Rid of Mice: If you suspect mice are in your living space, read our article to get an in-depth look at how to get rid of mice in your home.

Cleaning Your Home Post-Rodents

Cleaning up after mice and rats will not only keep your home sanitized and disinfected, but will also reduce the likelihood of rodents coming back again. To maintain a level of safety and to avoid cross contamination during the cleaning process, consider using the following cleaning supplies when cleaning your home post-rodents:

Cleaning Supplies	Purpose
Rubber Gloves and a Face Mask	Avoid the possibility of skin irritation and the inhalation of pathogens that mice and rats have brought into your home.
Dustpan and Broom	Sweep up all rodent droppings and other remnants that rodents have brought into your home.
Disinfectant Spray	Disinfect all areas that rodents were frequenting during their time in your home. This includes table surfaces, cabinets and floors.
Paper Towel	Use paper towels for wiping down surfaces and disposing of soiled paper towels easily.

Disposal of Droppings

Securely apply protective gloves and facemask and be mindful of cross contamination as you proceed to handle droppings carefully. Use as many gloves and masks as needed to avoid touching many areas of your home with equipment that may have been in close contact with rodent droppings.
Sweep up any physical droppings that you find in your home and dispose of them immediately in a garbage bag that is designated for cleaning up after rodents.
Once areas of your home are clear of droppings, disinfect the areas using a disinfectant spray.
Allow the spray to settle into the contaminated surfaces to allow the spray to disinfect the areas on its own. Typically, this waiting period is over 30 seconds to allow the area to be disinfected.
Proceed to wipe down surfaces once enough time has passed to let the disinfectant sanitize the areas of your home that need to be cleaned.

For more information on the disposal of droppings, read our article to learn how to handle rodent droppings.

Disposal of Dead Rodents

Seeing dead rodents in your home is more likely to occur during rodent infestations and in situations where rodents have been entering your home for a long period of time. It is important to refer back to the cleaning supplies required to clean your home in order to take the necessary steps towards sweeping up and disposing of rodents in the garbage immediately without a chance of cross contamination.