Question
How can I rid my yard of rats and mice that keep getting in our yard. We recently moved into a new home and have a pool. In the last month we have had a small rat and a mouse just this morning in the pool.. I have two small dogs and am afraid to put out poison but also am afraid of the disease and just not a fan of these rodents... can you provide some help with this on how to get rid of them?

Answer
Control of rodents requires a combination of habitat modification, food reduction and lethal control.

Details on various tactics related to these elements can be found at
http://www.icwdm.org/handbook/index.asp#rod
http://www.icwdm.org/wildlife/wildlifequadrapeds.asp

There is a lot of info here. Read the literature carefully and apply to your situation as they fit. Follow up with specific questions after getting informed on available options. Note, the war with rodents NEVER ends. You are either winning or losing, but never at peace.