Reduce Your Risk

Here's how you can help prevent diseases carried by rodents:

Indoors:

• Keep your house clean; pay special attention to the kitchen.
• Clean your dishes, counters and table immediately after eating.
• Keep all food in closed containers.
• Cover your garbage cans with tight-fitting lids.
• Don't leave pet food out overnight.
• Set mousetraps near your baseboards; use both the spring loading traps and covered bait traps with rodent poison approved by the EPA. Read the labels carefully before use.
• If you know you have mice in your house, take steps to kill fleas before setting mouse traps. These include using flea sprays and powders. Mice often carry fleas that can transmit infections to people.
• Seal all 1/4 inch wide or wider holes inside and outside your house with lath screen or lath metal, cement, wire screening or other patching materials.

Outdoors:

• Clear brush, grass and junk from around house foundations to eliminate a source of nesting materials.
• If you have a wooden, earthen or adobe home use metal flashing around the base. Install the flashing so that it reaches 12 inches above the ground and 6 inches into the ground.
• Elevate hay, woodpiles and garbage cans to eliminate possible nesting sites. If possible, locate them 100 feet or more from your house.
• Use EPA-approved poisons to kill rodents outside, but be sure to keep them out of the reach of children or pets.
• Encourage the presence of natural predators, such as non-poisonous snakes, owls and hawks.

Source: CDC

Find out more:

• Safe cleaning tips
• More about hantavirus