As colder weather arrives, many mammals seek out places to keep warm, close to food sources… including rodent guests you might not want to host in your home.
Residential rodent pests in northern Arizona include natives like pack rats and deer mice, as well as European house mice.
A key step in tackling a rodent problem is sealing entry points around foundations, unscreened crawl space vents and under decks. Removing food sources like bird feeders, and rodent habitat on your property – such as clutter and thick brush – also helps.
And while snap trapping may be needed for an infestation, deploying rodent birth control is an effective, ecofriendly approach.
Originally developed by two Flagstaff-based biologists, rodent birth control bait contains concentrated seed oil which renders females sterile. Unlike toxic baits, it poses no risk to pets like dogs, cats, and chickens, or to collateral wildlife species, like owls and hawks which might prey on poisoned rodents.
Readily available online, the birth control bait is like candy to rodents – they love it! Which helps to deliver an effective dose, vital when one female rat can produce 3 to 6 litters, with 5-12 pups per litter per year.
Installing nest boxes to attract owls and kestrels in your yard can also help to keep rodents in check.
Finally, putting up a wildlife camera helps you spot if any new unwanted guests show up, so that you can act fast to stop an invasion in its tracks.
This Earth Note was written by Diane Hope and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
