RELATED: If You Notice This Smell at Home, You May Have Mice, Experts Warn.
There’s nothing like being able to step outside and harvest your own homegrown produce for fresh juice or to use as ingredients in your next meal. But according to experts, mice and other rodents are as in love with the fruits coming from your garden as you are, giving them an ample food supply and plenty of reason to make your yard their primary foraging grounds. And if these fruit trees or bushes happen to be growing very close to your home, it might only be a matter of time before they find the cracks and holes they need to invite themselves indoors and search your living space for more of their favorite foods. How attractive your yard is to mice might also depend on what’s been planted. Experts cite citrus trees as a major draw for certain rodents who love to feed on the fruit they grow, but other common bushes and trees could also be enticing, such as avocados, peaches, figs, and nut-bearing trees, including almonds and walnuts. Other popular fruit-bearing plants can also become a buffet for mice and rats if not handled properly. “Rodents love foods that are sweet and high in water content such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears, and more,” Denise Trad Wartan, General Manager of Trad’s Pest Control in Jacksonville, Florida, tells Best Life.
RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Of course, if you’ve moved into a home that already has fruit-bearing plants—or even simply can’t bear to part ways with yours—you may still be able to avoid an infestation of mice or rats without a total foliage overhaul. Instead, experts suggest trying to maintain your yard like you would your kitchen if you happen to have fruit trees or bushes on your property. Make it a point to harvest early or remove all fallen or rotten fruit from the base of the trees before their flesh and seeds can become a full-fledged feast for pests. Just be sure you’re taking care of the unwanted fruit by properly composting it or putting it in the proper receptacle. “When unconsumed fruits and berries are left to rot on their bushes or trees or left in uncovered trash cans, these rodents are drawn by the smell and sweetness,” mousetrap company Victor Pest control writes. “This can ultimately lead to infestations of residential properties.” Besides picking up fruit before mice can get to it, experts also recommend essential maintenance of plants to help prevent an infestation. They suggest pruning and trimming branches on fruit trees close to your home, both so they don’t provide easy access to your roof or windows and also so as not to create a cover for the pests while they scavenge the ground, according to Washington-based United Pest Solutions. A well-maintained tree is also easier to harvest and remove fruit from around its base.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Of course, you should also take care to avoid planting any other flora that might attract rodents, as well. “Common plants that attract rats and mice include ivy, cypress and palm trees, and juniper bushes,” Kent Edmunds, CEO of Paul’s Termite & Pest Control, which has offices in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida, tells Best Life. “These plants offer shelter and food for them.” RELATED: Storing This in Your Pantry Is Attracting Mice to Your Home, Experts Warn.
