Adding to this: depending on where you live, the rodent issue is made worse by the vipers they attract. I generally don't mind snakes, rat snakes are actually

Adding to this: depending on where you live, the rodent issue is made worse by the vipers they attract. I generally don't mind snakes, rat snakes are actually quite nice, but I think most people don't want to worry about a rattlesnake nipping their heel when they step out their front door. This is made worse by the selective pressure humans place on rattlesnakes to discourage rattling (those that rattle get noticed and killed.) I think there are probably better ways to address this problem than mowing grass right up against your house though. Ringing your house with mulched gardens or even gravel patches (particularly french drains, in areas prone to flooding) is a good alternative, presuming you don't have a HOA forbidding it..