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How to Remove Rodents From Heating Ducts

Have you recently been dialing up the thermostat in order to stay warm? Well, you’re not the only thing trying to stay warm — so are the mice and rats that are looking for a home this winter. If your home has recently been compromised by a rodent (most likely multiple rodents), chances are it’s heading straight for the warmth and is using your heating ducts to navigate through your home.

Why Rodents Are Bad

No one wants a house filled with rodents — obviously! But these pests can be detrimental to the health of your family and your home. Wild rodents can harbor and spread disease, so it’s important to keep them and all of their feces (and it’s a lot) out of your home! They ‘re also very capable of chewing on wires that can ruin your heating and electrical systems. Not to mention how much your house will smell if the air you’re breathing in is engulfed in a stinky rodent’s stench as it runs through the ductwork (or worse, if you have a dead one in the ducts).

Steps on How to Remove Rodents

  1. Before You Start – Make sure the heating system has been shut off and you give the ducts ample time to cool off. Use this time to head to the store to buy your supplies.

  2. Purchase the Goods – You’ll need to purchase at least one snap trap for each air vent you have in your home, plus a few extra to replace traps that catch rodents. Additionally, you’ll need to buy an equivalent amount of the appropriate bait (and some extra for refills). Don’t leave cheese in your heating ducts, as this will stink up your entire home. Instead, opt for chocolate, peanut butter, or some dried fruit.

  3. Load ‘Em Up – Remove the covers from your heating ducts and place a baited and loaded snap trap in each one. Position the trap so the bait side is against the wall of the duct. Replace all of the duct covers when you are finished.

  4. Daily Inspections – A least once per day (or more if you’d like), inspect each of the snap traps by shining a flashlight into the duct. If a trap has gone off and did not catch a rodent, reload the trap with new bait. Keep an eye out for any rodent droppings as well.

  5. Removing Rodents – For the traps that do catch a rodent, throw on some rubber gloves and place the entirety of it in a plastic bag. Seal this bag and immediately dispose of it, along with the rubber gloves you just used. Place a newly loaded trap in the same position as the old one.

  6. Rinse and Repeat Continue this process until your rodent infestation has ceased to exist. However, you may want to get professional help if your rodent problem isn’t solved in a reasonable amount of time.

If you fear your home has been infested with rodents, you better start working fast to get them out! If your ductwork needs to be cleaned due to rodents (and their droppings), or you just need a heating service, don’t be afraid to give us a call!

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When you need a reliable partner for all your home services in the Lancaster area, trust Lancaster Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. From our location in East Petersburg, we can provide fast, professional HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services anywhere in Lancaster County and the surrounding communities. We have some of the best technicians in the business. Our company features:

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