Winter Pests

During the winter months, we imagine being snugly locked inside our warm homes while the cold winter winds howl outside. It brings images of warm fires or heated rooms to protect us from the cold. Unfortunately, this is also the most likely time that rodents will invade and infest your house. Rats, mice, and squirrels are the most common invaders, though there have been cases of a raccoon or possum getting in as well.

They can squeeze through almost any opening on your house from pet doors to vents with missing screens to dryer ducts to even holes they chew through your walls. A mouse needs only a space the size of a nickel to fit through and rats only need a space the size of a half dollar. Once in, they chew through nearly everything from walls to food to cardboard boxes to electrical wiring, which may lead to electrical short and fire.

If you don’t see one directly, you can tell you have a problem by the gnawing evidence, or hearing scampering or gnawing sounds in the attic or inside walls. You could also find droppings in undisturbed areas of the house such as pantries, attics, and along baseboards and walls.

If you find these telltale signs, seek out a professional pest control business quickly. Besides causing damage to your home, rodents can also cause allergies and spread potentially lethal diseases such as the hantavirus and arena virus. A pest control expert can help you get rid of the rodent problem you have and help you to prevent a future invasion.