Rodent Control in Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho started in 1961 when AMREP bought about 55,000 acres and laid out Rio Rancho Estates. It incorporated as a city in 1981 and sits at about 5,509 feet on the west side of the river, mostly in Sandoval County.
Plenty of Rio Rancho subdivisions border open desert. That edge is where pack rats and deer mice live, and the nearest garage or block wall is where they go looking for shelter.
Homes on the edge of open land
If your back wall faces open mesa, check the garage and the side yard. Look for stick nests under junipers and along the wall, and droppings in the garage corners. Pack rat control and rodent exclusion are the usual combination.
- Garage door seals and the bottom corners
- Gaps where the block wall meets the house
- Woodpiles and stored lumber along the back wall
- Cars or RVs that sit parked for weeks
Newer houses
Newer stucco homes have fewer gaps than old ones, but mice still find the utility entries, the dryer vent and the garage. A walk around the house every fall catches most of it.
Local question
There's a pack rat nest on the vacant lot behind us. What can I do?
You can't treat land you don't own, but you can seal your house and garage and keep your side of the wall clear. Talk to the lot owner too.