How to Keep Bugs and Rodents Out of Your Cabin

If you love your cabin, I’m sure other species of animals will also love your cabin.

We must remember that though they might not be the largest, bugs and rodents still have brains and therefore they know how to identify shelters.

When the weather is cold, insects and rodents will seek shelter to protect themselves from the elements, and your cabin may be the best shelter available to them.

If you don’t fancy sharing your home with other animals, then you’ll want to do everything you can to prevent them from seeking refuge in your abode. It’s easy to keep them out when you know how to, but it’s also easy to let them in if you’re not actively protecting your home from them.

In this article, I’ll be creating an extensive guide, explaining how you can keep bugs and rodents out of your cabin. If you live in an area with termites, then I’d recommend you check out my article on how to prevent termites from ruining your cabin.

PreventionPrevention

Prevention is key in protecting your cabin from insects and rodents. It’s always better to prevent a nasty situation, so that you avoid the headache of having to deal with them in the first place. It’s also a lot easier to prevent an infestation than dealing with one.

It’s important to have multiple lines of defence to prevent critters, this means that if the attackers overcome one defence, you have more several others which they’ll also have to get through. This greatly increases your cabins level of security and decreases the chances of an infestation.

In this section, I’ll be giving you some tips and tricks to prevent bugs and rodents from getting into your cabin.

Keep your Cabin Clean

Keeping your cabin clean is important, not only for your own livelihood but for keeping creatures out of your cabin.

Food is one of the biggest attractions for animals. No matter what the season, animals will also be on the hunt for food. If you have food laying around in your cabin, you’re almost inviting trouble into your home. You should always cover/seal your food in tubs, cans, zip-lock bags, and cupboards. This is done so animals don’t see or smell your food.

Animals tend to have a strong sense of smell and they will use this ability to track down food. This makes it important to seal your food to prevent odour leakage. Foul and smelly odours may also attract rodents, therefore it’s important to have a clean cabin.

When living in a cabin, it’s likely that you’ll track dirt into your cabin. This makes it very important to keep your cabin floors clean as dirt will build up quickly. When trekking in the wilderness, it’s also very common to step on animal droppings which will carry a foul smell which could attract rodents to your cabin. Ensure that you wipe down, sweep, and vacuum your floors often.

As well as your floors, you should ensure that your cabin overall is clean. This involves wiping down your cooking surfaces, wiping down your walls and throwing out your trash regularly.

Seal all Entry Points

Seal Cracks
Crack In a Door

The best way to prevent rodents from getting into your cabin is to seal up any entry points which could be used to get in. Rats and mice can fit through extremely small holes due to their flexible, long, and cylindrical body which is perfects for burrowing and fitting into tight gaps. Depending on the size of the rodent, they may be able to squeeze through a quarter sized hole. This makes it very important to seal up even the smallest holes or gaps.

Chimney

The chimney is a common entry point for rodents. If you have a chimney, then you’ll want to ensure that the opening of your chimney is sealed when you’re not using it. Depending on the type of chimney you have, you will need a different type of chimney cap. Most of these caps use a metal mesh which will prevent rodents from getting in. Not only will this prevent rodents, but it will also stop any small animals from finding their way into your cabin.

Attic Vent Holes

If your cabin has an attic space, then you’ll probably have vents which rodents can use to get into your cabin. If you have attic vents, then you likely already have a vent cover however it’s important that you inspect your covers every so often to ensure they haven’t been damaged. Rats are known to chew through weak materials overtime and eventually break their way in. They only must make a small hole to wiggle their way in, therefore close inspection is important.

Chewable Materials

You’ll want to conduct regular checks on your cabin, specifically checking anywhere that rodents may be able to chew or scratch their way into. This is typically wood. If you find any signs of damage, then treat the area quickly with wire mesh. This will protect the area from any further damage.

Gaps in Foundation

Depending on the type of material you’re using in your foundation, rodents may be able to access your cabin through it. If you’re lucky enough, you cabin is built on a sturdy concrete foundation. However, if not, then there may be small gaps in your foundation which rodents can climb into. For example, sometimes there will be gaps at the top of your foundation where the wood meets the footer. These holes will need to be sealed up to prevent any small rodents from getting into your cabin. Wire mesh is perfect for sealing holes.

These are only a few of the most common entry points, there are always a hundred more ways for rodents to get into. Do your own detective work to identify areas in your cabin where you think a rodent may be able to get into. I’d recommend doing a check of your cabin at least once a month or every few weeks to check for any recent damage. Sealing up holes with mesh may stop rodents however insects are much smaller and will require a different approach.

Preventing Insects and Bugs with Bug Barriers

As I had mentioned previously, sealing up holes with mesh is not enough to protect against insects are they will fit through the tiniest holes and gaps. The most effective way with dealing with bugs is by using bug barriers. There are many different brands available to you on the market and they work in different ways.

The way that bug barrier is used depends on the type of product you have. Some bug barrier is sprayed outside your cabin and kill any insects which come near it and some bug barriers are sprayed all around your cabin and will kill insects on contact. The product is sprayed on the floor and around entry points such as your door and your windows. Bug barrier is very effective and is used by a majority of professional pest control businesses. I’d recommend this bug barrier. This is a very cheap yet effective bug barrier. I’ve seen this product used often by pest control firms, and it does the job great. I’m a fan of bug barrier which come with ‘comfort wands’, they make applying the spray to surfaces a lot easier. This insect killer will not have any affect on humans, you won’t even remember you’ve sprayed it as it’s non-staining and odor-free.

This is a very long-lasting bug barrier which promises to keep your home bug-free for up to 12 months. This is a very low price to keep bugs out of your home for a whole year! It is safe to be sprayed in all rooms, including your kitchen, bathroom, basement, patio, foundations, garages and all windows and doors.

Bare in mind that this is a home-strength spray, so it may not be appropriate if you’re living in a location riddled with bugs and you’re under constant attack. Therefore, I’d recommend a slightly stronger product if you find yourself in an area with excessive insects. For such bas situations, I’d recommend D-Fense SC. This is an extremely powerful bug barrier that will kill anything that gets close to your cabin. This product works great and there are plenty of reviews for you to read up on. I’d highly recommend it if your situation is bad.

Ultrasonic

Ultrasonic products are perfect for those who don’t fancy cleaning up dead rodents and insects. Instead of killing these pests, we can keep them away with ultrasonic frequencies.

I’d recommend this pest repellent. This powerful sonic electric repellent will eliminate most pests away from your home. It’s very easy to install and comes with a user-friendly instruction manual, you’ll have it up and running in no time. This product is pet and humans safe, meaning it won’t have any effect on any children or pets you have. This is a great solution for those who don’t want to kill any wild-life or use any chemicals. This product works strictly as a replant and works by producing ultrasonic noise which will irritate pests and cause them to move on.

Bear in mind that depending on the size of your cabin, you may need a few of these. I have one device at my front door, one upstairs in the hall way and another in the kitchen.

There are plenty of other alternative products which you could go for however this is the only ultrasonic product which I could recommend.

How to Get Rid of Pests Already Inside

If your unfortunate enough to already have pests inside your home, it’s not to late to try the methods mentioned above. For example, a bug barrier will still be effective in killing any pests inside your home and an ultrasonic device may annoy the pests enough to make them leave your cabin. A combination of both as well as sealing any entry points should force them out your home and stop them from getting in.

However, if the infestation is too serious for these methods to work, you’ll have to put in a bit more effort to solve the problem. Fumigation, traps, and poison are all effective ways in curing an infestation. I’ll be going into detail on how to use these methods effectively to get rid of pests.

It’s important that you do everything in your power to get rid of pests, it’s extremely unhealthy and unpleasant to share your home with intruders. Rodents are known for carrying diseases and viruses which could make you ill. Some pests can even be dangerous, depending on where you’re staying. Make sure that you clean up any mess or dropping which rodents leave behind. Not only will it smell but diseases can be carried in faeces.

Traps

Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap

One of the most common ways for people to deal with rodents in their home is with the use of traps. This is an effective way in dealing with these pests.

The most iconic traps are the mousetrap. Though simple, it’s effective. Mouse traps are devices which you place in areas of your home where rodents are likely to be, and you fill with bait to attract the rodent to it. When the rodent touches the trap, depending on the type of trap you get, it will either get trapped or killed. Regardless it’s a humane device as it will either kill the rodent instantly or capture it so that you can release it back into the wild. This is a good example of a trap which will capture mice. However if you want to get rid of the rodent for good, then you can get this trap which promises a 100% kill.

Fumigate

Sometimes an infestation may get so bad that a bug barrier won’t be able to deal with it. Before you pick up the phone and result to calling a pest control company, fumigation is an option.

One of the most effective methods of solving an infestation is fumigation. It may sound like a drastic action however nowadays it’s not very difficult to fumigate your house at all.

There’s plenty of fumigation products on the market, most of which are very inexpensive and easy to use. Each product will work in a different way and have different qualities. Some products will leave behind an odd odour and some will leave behind a lovely fresh scent. Some are also stronger than others, so it’s important that you get one strong enough to deal with your infestation.

I’d recommend this product. This is a solid product which comes at a great price. It comes with a very user-friendly instruction manual which will allow you to begin the process in no time. I’ve heard many great things about this product.

Raid Fumigator is very simple to use, you simply close all windows and doors, set-up the fumigator and leave your cabin whilst it works its magic. It’s recommended to leave the fumigator for 3 hours before returning to your cabin. This gives you time to explore the amazing outdoors and nature surrounding your cabin.

When you return, any bugs which were in your home should be dead. Depending on how long you left your cabin for, it may or may not already be aired out. If you left for the recommended 3 hours, when you return, you should then air out your cabin by opening all windows and doors. This process should only take 30 minutes before you can vacate your cabin again. This fumigator will not leave behind any wet residue or odd smells, nothing but a fresh sent will be left behind.

Poison

Another common method of getting rid of rodents or bugs from your home is to use poison. Poison comes in many different forms, depending on what you plan to kill. For example, rodent poison often comes in the form of pellets or food. Insect poison often comes in the form of a powder.

The downside of poison is that you don’t know where the dead rodent/insect will end up, as the process of death following poison can be slow. Therefore, many people will opt for traps over poison. Though, the combination of traps and poisons are very effective.

Another point which could be made about poison is that it’s a lot less humane than a trap. This is because a trap will instantly kill the animal, not allowing for any suffering. Whereas, poison is a lot slower and therefore seen as cruel.

Last Resort (Animal/Pest Control)

If you’ve tried everything I’ve mentioned above, then your infestation may be too much of a problem for an individual to fix and will require professionals. A solid pest control team may be your only option left. These firms can expensive however they will get the job done professionally, the investment will be worth it.

In extreme cases, you may find that your home is being shared with a dangerous animal. In which case, it’s important to call animal control immediately. It’s not a good idea to try and tackle this problem yourself; get professionals to do the job. Depending on where your living, it’s possible that snakes and other dangerous animals may try to move in.

Conclusion

There are many ways to keep bugs and rodents out of your cabin on your own. The best way to deal with this issue is to prevent an infestation in the first place. Though, if you’re not quick enough and an infestation does occur, it’s not the end of the world.

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My name is Eugene Thornhill. I'm an outdoor enthusiast who loves nothing more than being one with nature. I've lived in numerous outdoor homes and even constructed my own. Living off-grid is something I'm very familiar with, more so than living in the city. For many years I've dealt with the many problems of living off-grid. It's time to pass on my knowledge through Cabinguides.

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