The first line of defence against rodents is proofing; stopping the rats or mice getting in. 

How to Stop Rats and Mice Getting Inside 

1. Prevent the rats or mice getting in. A mouse can squeeze beneath a door if there is a gap large enough to fit a pencil and a young rat is only a little larger than a mouse! Draft excluding brush strips are an ideal method of proofing such gaps. However, there are almost always other possible entry points around any building.
2. Seal gaps around pipes and cable where they enter buildings or go from one room to another. Pipes and cable often act as rodent highways.
3. Prune climbing plants and overhanging trees well away from roofs as these act as 'ladders' for rodents. Check eaves for entry points to the roof voids. If possible seal these.
4. Keep fresh rodenticide bait in place in safe places such as the roof void so that any rodents that get in are dealt with before you know about them.
5. Clear a wide area around a building, this will deter rodents from reaching and entering the building. Rodents are what we would call agoraphobic; they fear open spaces and like to be undercover.
6. Remove available food and shelter from within a building as this can have a powerful deterrent effect. This is an important and often overlooked aspect of controlling pests.
7. Use Kiwicare rodenticide baits. This is the most efficient and effective way to get rid of them if you have seen rats or mice, or evidence of them around your property. sometimes use bait in conjunction with simple traps.

• NO Rats & Mice One Feed or NO Rats & Mice Bait Blocks rodenticide bait is placed at strategic, safe points, inside and outside the buildings, in order to reduce populations around the building and to deal with individuals that enter, before an infestation can take hold. These baits are rat and mouse rodenticides well suited to using outside and in damp areas.
• NO Rats Bait Stations and NO Rats & Mice One Feed Mice Bait Stations can be used both indoors and outdoors; they protect people and pets from bait and bait from the deterioration due to the environment.
• NO Rats & Mice Dual Action Bait & Powder is ideal for use in dry areas inside the house where children and pets cannot access.

8    Traps. Snap traps are useful to use where poison baits cannot be placed or as a helpful way of catching rodents that are 'dopey' from taking the bait. The rodents can then be removed without risk of causing an unpleasant smell. For more information on the effective use of traps for controlling rats and mice see the article on Using Traps to Catch Rats and Mice.

• Watch the video on How to Keep Rodents Out of Your House

David Brittain
Kiwicare