Winter Rodents – How To Avoid

Once the temperature starts to drop, this winter rodents living outside start looking for warm places to sleep for the night. Unfortunately for you, many times your home is just that place. No one wants mice, rats or squirrels in their homes. They are noisy, unsanitary and cause damage. If you already have rodents in your house, it’s important to call a professional like Lawn Care Extraordinaire. We can get the pests out, then help protect your house from them getting back in. If just want to do some preventative work on your own, then this article is for you! How can you discourage them from taking up residence in your home? Lets take a look…

How They Enter Your Home

The best way to avoid getting winter rodents in to your home in the first place is by preparing and securing your home in advance. Carefully and slowly walk around your house and examining from the foundation to the roof. If you have siding, wood or vinyl, are there any openings at the corners of the house or roofline? If so you’ll want to get them closed up. Also look carefully around windows, and your foundation. Any opening needs to be blocked up or sealed. A hole the size of a quarter is large enough for a rat or mouse to get into your home. Be sure to examine the water, power and cable lines that enter your house. Many times we find openings large enough for these winter rodents. Cans of expanding foam can work well to seal up many openings. Finally, inspect your garage. Make sure the garage doors seal when closed. Also look around the inside of your garage making sure that if they do make it into your garage they can’t continue into your home.

Signs Winter Rodents Are In Your Home?

It usually starts with unusual sounds or sightings. Most rodents that get into your home are active at night when the house is calm and quiet. Therefore you may not even know you have them in your home for some time. Eventually though you will start to notice some hints around the house. When the house is quiet you may hear scratching or running coming from the ceiling of your home. Since most homes here in Sarasota County do not have basements, many pests find their way in the attics. Perhaps you notice some small droppings, or even a faint ammonia smell. These are also signs that a rodent is in your home. Winter rodents aren’t just dirty and annoying, they can also be dangerous. Mice and rats have tendency to chew on plastic power wires. If unnoticed, damaged wires could lead to a fire in your home taking you by surprise.

If you are concerned about winter rodents or rodents anytime of year getting into your home, give us a call or complete our online request form. We have been protecting local family in Sarasota, Venice and Port Charlotte areas since 1979. We are the area’s larges and most experienced pest control company.