Rodent Control in the East Mountains: Tijeras, Cedar Crest and Edgewood
The East Mountains are the communities on the far side of the Sandias. Cedar Crest sits at the eastern base of the mountains at about 6,779 feet, with Tijeras just south of it. Edgewood is roughly 33 miles east of Albuquerque on I-40, at about 6,687 feet, and its town limits cross three counties.
Rural lots, piñon and juniper, cabins and outbuildings. Rodent calls from up here are mostly deer mice and pack rats, and they come with a public health angle.
Plague and hantavirus up here
The City of Albuquerque says most plague and tularemia cases in Bernalillo County come from the East Mountains, with some from the western foothills and North Albuquerque Acres. In 2014 the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish reported plague deaths in animals at Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood.
That's why the advice for this area is careful: keep kids and pets away from rodents and burrows, use flea control on pets, don't let pets roam and hunt, and clear brush, rock piles and clutter from around the house. Our guide on plague, fleas and pets has more.
Cabins and second homes
A cabin that sits closed for weeks is an invitation to mice. Air it out before you go in, look for droppings before you touch anything, and follow the bleach-solution steps in our cleanup guide. If you only visit now and then, a monitoring plan can keep an eye on it for you.
Local question
I found a dead squirrel in the yard. What should I do?
Don't touch it with bare hands. The City of Albuquerque asks people in the East Mountains to call 311 about rodents that died with no obvious cause so they can be tested.