Finding a rat or mouse in your home can be an unpleasant experience — some would even call it traumatic! Many startled homeowners choose to turn immediately to a seasoned exterminator like 24-7 Animal & Pest Control of St. Louis, MO. But there are some rodent control steps you can take on your own, as the experts at 24-7 Animal & Pest Control explain below.

What to Do When You Find A Rodent In Your Home

Consider A Natural Poison

Even something as simple as a mixture of cornmeal and dry cement can provide effective rodent control without posing an unnecessary danger to children or pets. Always consider the effect any substance you use might have on other animals or neighbors.

Use Conventional Traps

As the saying goes, “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” Conventional rodent traps are still fairly effective, however, and can be found at most grocery or hardware stores. It won’t be as effective as the tools available to professional rodent control services, but you may still get good results.

Take Steps To Prevent Infestation

Prevention is the best medicine. You can take a number of steps to make your home less inviting to rodents. House cats, for instance, provide effective pest control in their time-tested role as mousers. Planting mint near your house or using peppermint oil as a repellent can also be effective, as rodents find the scent unpleasant. Of course, the best prevention is to seal your house from cracks, and to always store food securely in the refrigerator or in containers that mice can’t chew through.

These methods leave a lot of work for the homeowner and aren’t guaranteed to be effective, so for any serious infestation, it’s best to call a rodent control expert like 24-7 Animal & Pest Control. If you need to deal with a rodent problem in the St. Louis area, you can call them at (314) 236-7378, or visit their website for more information about their services.