Remove sources of food, water, and shelter.
Clean up potential food sources such as trash, fallen fruit from fruit trees, or pet food. Consider cutting back excessive vegetation growing on or near your building, as this provides shelter for rodents and encourages their presence. For example, ivy provides a perfect habitat for mice and rats.
Seal out rodents.
Mice can fit through gaps as thin as a pencil. Seal up gaps of that size or larger with 1/4" screening, escutcheon plates, and or metal wool (copper or stainless steel). Purchase a door sweep to seal large openings under doors.
If rodents persist, use snap traps.
Use traditional snap traps if you still have a problem. Use lots of them; at night, place them on rodent trails (along the edges of walls and corners), and pre-bait (placing traps down without setting them) for the first day. Remember to keep pets and children away from trap-laid areas.
Cockroaches and ants can be controlled with prevention and less toxic products.
Use plain soapy water to kill crawling insects and clean up their trails.
Insecticidal sprays and foggers may kill some of your pests, but so will simple soapy water – without all the hazards of pesticides. Also, soapy water removes ants’ chemical trails, making it harder for them to find their way back inside your home. Don’t forget, just killing the pests in sight will not prevent future pest problems.
Seal out pests from your home and food.
For bugs, a crumb is a feast, so clean up spills! Store food in glass and stainless-steel containers. Seal holes and cracks that give pests access into your home.
If pests persist, use ant or cockroach baits instead of sprays.
You may have to wait a week or two for complete control, but baits have proven more effective than insecticides and foggers. They also have less potential to harm your health than sprays.
Related Content
Pest Management for Residents
Managing Pests in Your Home (English) (PDF, 2 pages) / Manejo de Plagas en su Casa (Español) / 屋內害蟲治理 (中文)
Additional Resources
Pest Management Factsheets (Our Water, Our World website) - Guidelines for specific pests
Pest Notes Library (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website) - Guidelines for specific pests
IPM Toolkit for Child Care Providers (Calif. Dept. of Pesticide Regulation) - practical information about using IPM to manage pest problems for child care providers, schools, and families
EPA: Benefits of Integrated Pest Management
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Additional Resources
Rats and Mice Factsheet (Our Water, Our World)
National Pesticide Information Center: Rats
National Pesticide Information Center: Mice
National Pesticide Information Center: Rodenticides
National Center for Healthy Housing: Rodents and Health