Time was when most people were happy to set traps when they saw those tell take gnaw marks or poop deposits appearing in their homes.

Now, many of us are a little more caring when it comes to our furry friends. Sure, we don’t want to live with them. But we’re happier to simply move them on, rather than off them completely.

The question is, can we effectively remove rodents without killing them?

The answer is yes! Read on for 8 effective, but non-lethal, rodent removal methods.

1. Stink ‘Em Out

It might seem counterintuitive to think that pests who spend their days frolicking in other people’s trash may actually hate certain smells.

The funny thing is that one of the best rodent control methods is to use chili oil or peppermint oil. Placed strategically around the home, this could help to send them packing.

They also hate ammonia (but hey, who doesn’t?) and mothballs. However, mothballs seem to knock out their sense of smell, so while they may help for a while, they’re not a long-term solution.

2. Creep ‘Em Out

Here’s another interesting one – just as the mere sight of a rodent can creep most humans out, there’s a substance that’s kryptonite to mice especially – aluminum foil.

Aluminum foil stuffed into cracks or placed on surfaces that mice frequent is very effective at keeping them at bay. There’s something about the sharp, crunchy stuff they just can’t stand. Many have found this to be a simple but effective tip.

3. Block ‘Em Out

Getting them out of the house is one thing, keeping them out is another.

You need to get inside the mind of a rodent, think small and do an extremely thorough, systematic audit of your entire home.

Every single gap, crack, and hole, however small, needs to be carefully filled. It’s also worth taking a photo log of these jobs as you go through. That will help you to check them periodically to make sure your defenses haven’t been breached.

Work from the top down. For effective rodent removal from your attic, you need to work through and find every possible entry point. Then block it up, and make sure you do a thorough job.

A mouse can squeeze through very small holes and gaps, and even small rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter (0.96 inches).

4. Clean ‘Em Out

Rats and mice are looking for a free meal.

If you keep your home super clean, take good care to clear away all food and crumbs at the end of each meal and consider using sealable food containers, you should be able to create a very unappealing space for our furry friends.

Areas with lots of garbage piled up, or untidy homes also provide perfect places for mice and rats to disappear into. This makes them harder to find and ‘rehouse’. Keeping things clean and tidy will go a long way toward resolving that issue.

5. Starve ‘Em Out

OK, this one’s not as dramatic as it sounds.

We’re not talking about starving them to death, just making sure that they don’t have access to food. That means there’s no incentive for them to come into your house. Sorry to break it to you, but they’re there to eat your stuff, not admire your decor.

This means doing a thorough audit and making sure that there’s no – and we mean no – food for them to get access to. You must seal all trash completely. Sealed tight, with no way for them to access it.

Don’t leave any food out on the counter overnight. Also, think about your animals. Do you leave food out for them? That’s a no-no as it’s a rodent attractor.

6. Trap ‘Em

…But not using anything inhumane like a traditional mousetrap or the even more cruel glue trap.

There are now live traps that you can find from exterminators. These tempt the rodents in but don’t let them out. A word to the wise though – to keep these humane, you’ll need to check them regularly.

If a mouse or rat is left in a live trap for a few hours they will die. Make sure you only put them out when you can check them every hour to see if you’ve caught one.

7. Release ‘Em

Once you’ve trapped a live mouse or rat, now comes the problem of what to do with them.

Clearly, they need to be left somewhere they won’t be in danger of starvation, but also somewhere that will stop them returning to your home.

Releasing them about a mile away from your home should do it.

8. Don’t Attract ‘Em

It could be that you’ve unwittingly been leaving a smorgasbord of goodies for rodents right outside your home.

If you have fruit trees nearby, windfalls left to rot on the ground are like catnip to rodents. Effective rodent removal begins with making sure these are cleared away. Then there’s nothing to attract them to the vicinity in the first place.

Also, some people are in the habit of leaving food out for local wildlife. This is a no-no when it comes to rodent removal though. Don’t leave anything out, and they’ll quickly lose interest.

The Bottom Line: Rodent Removal, Without Rodent Execution

Rodent removal is not top of anyone’s list of favorite jobs.

That being said, as we’ve seen there are lots of effective and inexpensive ways to humanely keep rodents where they belong – safely out of our homes.

Whether you choose the scent, foil, trapping or cleaning routes, you’ll hopefully be able to handle the problem yourself and get your rodent issues sorted. But if you can’t, it’s time to call in the (humane) rodent pest control.

At Command Pest Control, our experienced team know how to rid you of your rodent problem, and make sure they never come back.

Click here for more information on our rodent removal services today.