Sealing leaky windows, filling gaps in doors, and installing efficient insulation will not only decrease wasteful energy usage, it also may reduce rodent infestations, a new study recently published in Environmental Research Letters found.

The study led by Yale School of the Environment researchers paired retrofitting homes with pest control in urban areas.

“I’ve heard horror stories from people with rats in their basements and raccoons under the floorboards,” said Gabriel Gadsden, a doctoral student at YSE who first began the research while interviewing homeowners in Detroit for a master’s project. “I started thinking that retrofitting homes might accomplish multiple objectives: reduce excess energy use while minimizing pest populations.”