As outside temperatures plummet and snowy weather looms on the horizon, many of us turn to focus on ways we can entertain ourselves indoors for the winter months. But we’re not the only ones looking for a warm place as the seasons change—rodents, such as mice and rats, are also scurrying to put a roof over their heads. You don’t have to wait until you see critters running around your home or business to start preventing winter rodent infestations; in fact, there are many effective steps that you can take before a problem occurs.
Why Put a Stop to Rodents Early?
Rodents are disruptive, destructive and just plain gross. Rats can find access through an opening the size of a quarter and are known to nest in basements or lower levels of buildings. It might surprise you to learn that rats average about 100 fecal droppings a day in a range of up to 300 feet and can contaminate your food and spread diseases that may harm both people and pets. In addition, they damage homes and businesses due to their tendencies to gnaw and burrow.
Mice, on the other hand, can squeeze into your property through openings about the size of a dime and, like rats, they quickly reproduce. In addition to their ability to contaminate 10 times more food than they eat, mice also cause immense property damage and have been known to cause fires by chewing wire insulation.
Preventing a Rodent Invasion
How do you stop these rodents from taking over your property in the first place? Prevention mostly comes down to good sanitation and blocking points of entry.
Here are some tips on how to prevent rodents from taking over your home or business:
- Examine sheds, garages and other outer buildings for current rodent infestations
- Choose plastic or metal bins over cardboard boxes for storage
- Seal holes and gaps around utility penetrations with metal mesh
- Check and seal as needed any holes or cracks in walls, foundation or pipes
- Replace failing weather stripping
- Fix any loose mortar around your property
We can help with the prevention of rodent infestations and more with a MultiPest Plan. Over three scheduled visits to your property in the spring, summer and fall, we provide a custom pest prevention and elimination plan, with no additional cost for extra visits.
Of course, if you’ve already seen signs of rodents in your home or business—such as droppings, signs of gnawing, burrows, or rub marks against baseboards—give us a call. We will help you eliminate these pests fast!