As the temperature drops, people want to spend more and more time inside. Unfortunately, so do the pests, and your place seems to be the nearest one to warm they can find. Winter rodent control isn’t easy, but it is an absolute must. You’ll often hear people complain of nothing quite so prevalently as they do the problem with rodents in the winter. What can you do to keep them out of your home as the colder temperatures set in? Take a look:
• Start by filling in the gaps. If you see any spaces in your home’s siding or any cracks in the foundation, you need to seal them as well as possible. Tiny gaps can be a problem. They need only to be the size of a pencil to be big enough for a mouse to squeeze his way into your home, so close them up. Make sure your outdoor vents are covered with wire mesh, too, and install chimney caps to keep these little unwanted visitors out this winter.
• If you have firewood outside your home, keep it well away from the structure. Rodents love to nest inside because it’s warm, and it’s just a hop, skip, and jump away from your actual home, so keeping it away from the house may actually help to divert them.
• Your next steps will involve some indoor work on your part, as the last thing you want to do is feed them if they make it into your home. Make certain you put all of the food away after dinner and don’t leave pet food out, either. Wash the dishes quickly and ensure all of your food is kept in heavily-sealed containers. You’ll also probably want to sweep and mop on a regular basis. If you have toddlers, make sure there aren’t snacks spread across the rest of your home, as well.
• Watch carefully for signs of an infestation. You may actually see a mouse, but you’re more likely to notice other problems. You may see their tiny, pellet-sized droppings in your kitchen or in other hidden spots. You may also hear odd things. Squeaks and rustling is quite common, as are the scampering noises they make. You may hear them more at night than you do during the day, as they’re nocturnal creatures. If you happen to notice holes in things like pillows or furniture, you could also have an infestation on your hands, as they like to use materials like that for nesting.
If you do happen to notice that you have an infestation, your best bet is to call in a professional pest control company immediately. They’ll help identify exactly which rodents have invited themselves in for the winter, then help you eliminate them entirely.