A Year of Rodent Prevention for San Antonio Homes
Rodent control doesn't have to start with a phone call. Most of what keeps rats and mice away costs little or nothing: picking things up, putting food away, fixing a seal, cutting a limb. Do a little each season and you'll have fewer problems, and the ones you do have will be smaller.
Our seasons aren't like up north. There's no long freeze that pushes everything inside at once. Rodents here stay active all year, so prevention is a year-round habit, not a fall chore.
Spring: Trim and Clear
Spring is a good time to trim trees away from the roof, before the summer growth spurt and the heat. Clean out the garage and get boxes up on shelves. Clear brush and leaves away from the foundation. Check the weep holes along the bottom row of brick and add screens where they're open.
Summer: Food and Water
Hot weather makes rodents look for water. Fix dripping hose bibs and AC condensate lines that pool by the slab. Keep the green organics cart lid closed and rinse it out now and then, since it holds food waste. Bring pet food and water in at night. Pick up fruit that falls from the trees.
- Fix leaky outdoor faucets and drip lines
- Keep trash and organics carts closed tight
- Bring pet bowls in at night
- Harvest or pick up fruit and figs
Fall: Pecans and Seals
Pecans start dropping, and squirrels aren't the only ones collecting them. Rake them up. Replace worn garage door seals before the first cold front. Look up at the roofline for gaps and loose trim, and check the attic for droppings while it's cooler up there. If you see signs, a fall inspection catches it early.
Noise in the attic tonight? Talk to someone who handles San Antonio rodents.
Call (210) 955-2948
Winter: Watch and Listen
When a strong cold front comes through, listen at night for noise in the ceiling and walls. Check the garage and the pantry for droppings. Bring firewood in only as you use it, and keep the pile off the ground and away from the house. If you're catching mice every week, they're coming in somewhere, and mouse control with sealing is the next step.
The Cheap Stuff That Helps Most
If you only do three things: keep food sealed up, keep limbs off the roof, and close the gaps you can see. That handles a big share of what draws rodents to a house. For gaps you can't reach or can't find, a pro can do the sealing.
Questions From Callers
Do peppermint oil or ultrasonic plug-ins keep rodents away?
We don't know of good evidence that either one works for long. Food storage, trimming and sealing do.