 Wait, a minute you better not find a mouse nestled among the gifts or munching on Aunt Clara’s famous pecan log - right? Here are some helpful tips to make sure that the only rodents you find are the stuffed ones from Disney. Unpleasant as it may be, as the weather cools in our region, these rodents seek the three vital “creature comforts” that our homes provide them. 1. Food (Squeek! Looky, fruitcake!) 2. Water (Oh Mickey, I’m parched!) 3. Shelter (A roaring fire and decorative pillows, AAhh) Rodents, which invade homes while looking for food and warmth, can be difficult to keep out no matter what their size or species. The most common rodent species in the Louisiana are Norway rats, Roof rats and the House mouse. Surprising to many people, rats can squeeze through openings as small as a quarter and can crawl through holes the size of a dime. These filthy pests can be dangerous, contaminate food, and spread diseases in your home. It’s important to properly identify the type of rodent you are dealing with in order to take the appropriate measures to eliminate the rodents. Mice alone contaminate 10 times the amount of food they actually consume. Rodents in general can carry fleas known to spread various types of plague and are also notorious for carrying and spreading diseases such as Murine Typhus and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. A rodent control program in and around the home is one way to prevent disease transmission. Although we had a little Christmas fun in this article, Proper sanitation will do a great deal to control rodent pests. Removal of any one of their creature comforts, will force an animal to leave. Removal of debris such as, piles of waste lumber or trash, abandoned large appliances, will substantially reduce the harborages for rodent pests. Stacked firewood stored for long periods provides good harborage for all three commensal rodents. Storage of pet food and wild bird seed, in rodent proof containers of glass or metal, will eliminate these food sources. Keeping lids on trash cans and closing dumpsters will also make an area less attractive to rats and mice. The drainage holes in dumpsters should be covered with hardware cloth to keep rodents out. ** | 
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