A lot of homeowners think that summer-month pests leave when winter arrives. While pest activity changes when it gets colder outside, many pests do not go dormant in the winter months. Rodents are examples of pests that remain active in winter. That is why homeowners should take measures against these destructive pests.
Mice, rats, and other rodents are wild and smart. They will find their way into homes through the tiniest cracks they can find. As the cold weather rolls in, these pests will climb and sneak into your home for warmth, food, shelter, and water. So, when you see signs of rodent activity, do not wait to reach out to a pest control team at greenpestservices.net. Professionals have the expertise, knowledge, and experience dealing with different types of pests, including rodents.
How Rodent Infestations Begin
Rats and mice are stealthy creatures. They do not need a big opening to access your living space. A tiny mouse can easily squeeze its body through a crack or hole. Rodents like to live in attics, cluttered areas, and cabinets where they can do their activity without being seen.
When rodents successfully establishe themselves inside your house, they can quickly reproduce, causing significant property damage over time. These pests gnaw on clothes and furniture, damage insulation, and chew wirings. Also, they can put you and your family at risk of contracting harmful diseases they may carry.
Rats and mice can contaminate your belongings, surfaces, water supply, and food sources with their feces and urine. They carry diseases and pathogens they might have gotten from garbage, dump sites, and other unsanitary areas they visited.
Rodent-Proofing Your Home in Winter
To ensure you do not share your house with rodents in winter, you must take measures to prevent them from entering. Here are some practical solutions to implement and how pest control experts can help protect your home against rats and mice:
- Keep firewood elevated. Rodents like to hide in firewood in winter. Firewood is warm and dry and has pockets where rodents can nest and store food. To ensure this does not happen, store your firewood off the ground. Stack it neatly to get rid of crevices between the logs. Also, keep the wood covered with a tarp to keep it dry because rodents are drawn to damp wood.
- Get rid of outdoor hiding places. Rats and mice are prey creatures, which means that they are killed or eaten by other animals, often bigger ones. That is why these rodents hide in areas where predators cannot find them. They tend to hide in small, dark, and seldom-used places to remain protected against other animals and harsh weather. To prevent a rodent issue, get rid of things they can hide in such as old tires, children’s toys, stacks of building materials, piles of soil, garden tools, and outdoor furniture.
- Seal entry points. As the temperature drops, heat escapes from your home and can draw rodents into your home through small holes and cracks. Usually, such cracks are found in the walls, foundation, doors and windows. Seal up openings around your home’s outside to prevent rodents from getting in. Pest control experts may use special equipment to spot these openings’ heat signatures and seal them up.
- Ensure your landscape is winter-ready. Overgrown shrubs and tall grass offer the best hideout for rats and mice in winter. Thick vegetation can shelter these rodents from snow, rain, and wind. To discourage rodents from establishing themselves in your house, maintain your landscape regularly by cutting the grass short, raking up fallen leaves, trimming back overgrown shrubbery, and ensuring tree branches do not touch your home.
