Rodent Control in Monument and the Tri-Lakes Area

Monument sits at the base of the Rampart Range, north of the Air Force Academy, on the southern slope of the Palmer Divide. The town is at about 6,982 feet, and Monument Hill tops out at 7,352 feet where I-25 crosses it. It started out as Henry's Station in 1879. Along with Palmer Lake and Woodmoor, it makes up the Tri-Lakes area.

Pike National Forest borders Monument on the west and Black Forest lies to the east. That puts a lot of homes right next to forest, scrub and open land.

Higher up, colder sooner

Monument sits nearly a thousand feet higher than downtown Colorado Springs, and I-25 over Monument Hill often gets hazardous in winter. When it turns cold, mice look for warm buildings. Garages, basements and crawl spaces are the usual first stops. Get the garage door seal and the utility gaps sealed before fall.

• Garage door seals and corners
• Crawl space vents and access doors
• Gaps around the gas meter and AC lines
• Firewood stacked against the house

Forest-edge homes

Homes near the national forest and in the wooded parts of Woodmoor deal with deer mice and pack rats more than city homes do. Deer mice bring the hantavirus question, so read the deer mouse page before you clean up droppings. Pack rats build stick nests in sheds and garages and in parked vehicles. See pack rat removal.

Newer subdivisions east of I-25 deal with mice in garages and voles in lawns, like most of the north side. Vole and gopher control covers the yard side.

Landmarks and roads: Monument Hill · Palmer Lake · Woodmoor · Pike National Forest · I-25 exits 158 and 161 · Rampart Range

Nearby areas: Briargate, Rockrimmon, Black Forest, Falcon and Peyton, Broadmoor and Cheyenne Cañon, Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and the West Side, Fountain, Security-Widefield, Powers and Stetson Hills.