Rodent Control in Rockrimmon

Rockrimmon sits in rolling foothills on the northwest side. The Gazette describes it as mature trees, miles of trails and mountain views, with houses in earth tones that blend into the hillside. Ute Valley Park and Blodgett Peak Open Space are close by, and Peregrine, a development of about 1,000 homes, is tucked into the mountainside at the base of Blodgett Peak.

The same Gazette piece says deer are common and bears, bobcats, foxes and coyotes are regular visitors. Small rodents are here in much bigger numbers, and some of them end up in houses.

Rock, scrub and pack rats

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says woodrats prefer rough, broken ground. Rock outcrops and hillsides around Rockrimmon fit that description. When a pack rat moves closer to people, it picks a shed, a garage, a crawl space or the engine bay of a car that doesn't get driven much. If you find a pile of sticks and odd objects, see pack rat removal.

Deer mice from the open space

Homes that back onto open space and trails see field mice, and CSU Extension notes deer mice do come into homes in suburban and rural areas. That makes careful cleanup worth the trouble here. Don't sweep or vacuum droppings, wet them with disinfectant first, and wear gloves. Deer mouse control lays it out.

• Seal gaps under decks and around crawl space vents
• Keep firewood off the ground and away from the house
• Check the garage door seal before October
• Don't leave bird seed or pet food out overnight

After the fires

The 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire burned 346 homes in western Colorado Springs, most of them in Mountain Shadows. If you're thinning brush, moving woodpiles and clearing around the house for wildfire mitigation, that work also takes away rodent cover. If you're doing mitigation anyway, ask your provider about sealing the house at the same time.

Landmarks and roads: Ute Valley Park · Blodgett Peak Open Space · Peregrine · Mountain Shadows

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