Keep Rodents Away This Winter

Clean-Up Inside

• Don't leave food on counters, or used pans on the stove or in the sink overnight.
• Regularly clean stove tops, ovens, and broilers.
• Sweep kitchen floors and clean under stoves and refrigerators often.
• Store cereals, nuts, seeds, grain, and pet food in sealed glass, plastic, or metal containers. Don't store onions, potatoes, rice, etc. in open bins, and especially not under the kitchen sink.
• Pick up any pet food not eaten before going to bed. Store dry pet food in a sealed container.
• Take trash to the dumpster, trash cans, or trash chute each evening. Make sure that garbage bags and cans are tightly sealed overnight.

Clean-Up Outside

• Use a bird feeder with a catch tray and clean up seed under the feeder regularly. Store bird seed in a container with a tight lid.
• Pick up fallen fruit and rotting vegetables in the garden. Don't place food scraps on top of the compost pile.
• Don't store garbage outside in plastic bags. They are not rodent-proof.
• Remove piles of stone, boards, firewood, or debris that are stacked near the foundation. Stack lumber and firewood 12 inches off the ground.
• Clear brush, weeds, and ground covers around foundation. Remove ivy from buildings.
• Remove or reduce accumulated mulch against the foundation.