What Attracts Mice or Rats in Your Home?
Mice or rats enter your home through any hole that is as big as a quarter. They also like:
- grains
- pet food
- garbage bags
- furniture made of natural fibers
- peeling wallpaper
- electrical wires
Therefore, keep your house clean to prevent these animals from entering. They like it dark and quiet.
One possible reason for an infestation could become the result of poor sanitation. Along with health concerns and other problems, it is easy for rats or mice to find food sources near their nest in your home. The same goes for water access points. You have littered so much around those areas without cleaning them up properly first.
A dirty house is just what these scavenging animals want! They will take advantage by going inside any dirty space. Anywhere from kitchen cupboards full of garbage all over counters are more than likely to include some kind of vermin or at least hair or footprints.
Bird feeders and other types of food items that leave residue, like birdseed or peanut butter can attract rats to your home! Likewise, fruits falling from trees may also seem inviting for these vermin-dishonoring pests.
How to Keep Rats Away From Your House
Rats are likely to keep coming back because they can survive in cold climates. Poisons or traps are not completely effective. You may have done your best to trap them using these methods already but it never worked out. Here are some alternative ways to keep rodents away from your house. So you do not have to worry about the winter season infestation again!
Use garlic oil spray with natural ingredients. It is safe for pets and children while also making sure to keep mice or rats away from your house during the winter months. Vinegar sprayed around doorways will keep mice away because they cannot stand the smell.
Fabric softener dryer sheets help keep them at bay by sticking to their fur and causing discomfort. Planting mint around the perimeter of your house will keep them out as well. You can even pour vinegar or peppermint oil along baseboards to keep rodents away during winter.
Do not put compost piles nearby because they attract animals near your home! When you love gardening, try to put it elsewhere. They like to stay close enough to keep an eye out for predators, like cats when any could mean trouble for these rodents.
What kind of rodents comes out during winter?
Mice and rats stay alert through the winter! But they are nocturnal creatures so you will not see one unless it needs food. Mice typically store up on small amounts of food. They can scavenge during warmer months to last them until next springtime with renewed grazing habits.
But sometimes, most mice do not hibernate like bears or groundhogs. Rats will venture out into colder weather as necessary. Just do not expect anything more than sticks at best! A dirty area attracts them to keep returning!
You can find tree squirrels, like the chipmunks and groundhogs throughout Pennsylvania. They live in trees but some may venture down from time to time. That is when food sources become scarce or more tempting than usual!
A tree squirrel is a furry little creature that lives up high! These curious rodents with long tails scurry around the country running off your kitchen food supply at breakneck speeds! This occurs while you sleep below them undetected. Every once in a while, you might see him cross your path out on his own. Most often, they will stay close by hiding inside your attic.
Where do rats go when it gets cold?
Sometimes, you might find a rat in your house when it is so cold outside! The same goes for mice. They keep looking for warmth through all seasons. A warm place to sleep with no predators nearby will keep these creatures alive and out of sight most of the time!
Rats will seek shelter in any safe space such as between walls or inside furniture when possible. Not getting indoors means they may look for a small den not far from where they live. They can keep themselves warm by hugging each other close. This is while sleeping on bedding materials like leaves or grasses gathered together for warmth during wintertime.
A rat’s nest consists of many small bits of anything it can find on the ground but never chewed on. Keep your garbage can covered and the food scraps away. They will stay out of your house.
Mice keep warm differently than rats. They keep their core temperature up by huddling together in a ball of sorts. Their tails wrap around each other for support and comfort during snowy weather. They also gather seeds and nuts nearby to eat through the night hours.
Do Rats Hibernate?
No, they keep moving about! You can see them once it gets cold outside. Rats are always in motion to stay warm in the cold weather. They will venture nearer to your house for better food supplies.
Rats feed on what you eat inside your home through all seasons. This rodent’s diet makes him very dangerous. That is even when outside temperatures reach freezing degrees! Mice or rats living nearby are enough reason to set up traps indoors and out.
When it is cold outside, rats hibernate to conserve energy. This misconception stems from the fact that they are less active when it is colder and safer for them in their burrows during this time of year. But do not worry. When winter rolls around again, curiosity will get people up and about once more! All animals want a taste of fresh meat before the season starts again.
Rats are not mammals at all. They are members of an even smaller animal kingdom known as rodents. Common traits are being nocturnal creatures with excellent memories!
Why are rodent issues more common in winter?
In the wintertime, they have less food to keep them busy. Keep your home clean by taking out the garbage regularly. Avoid spills or drips that might attract a rodent’s attention! You can discourage rodents from entering your house during winter.
Finding a way inside your house means they will tear it apart looking for food! Mice are not picky creatures at all. An infested home with any small creature lets you expect many tiny holes in clothing as well as materials behind furniture. In one of the famous winter rodent activities, mice make those holes right through the material on their search for food.
Mice will keep away from you so keep your distance. When they do not, use noisemakers like horns or whistles! They will run off to the next house over leaving yours alone for good.
Trash bags up and away is crucial during cold weather months. Keep them in tight plastic bins that you can securely tie shut! This is after wrapping food supplies within them. Avoid piles of leaves anywhere near your home as well as long grasses growing against walls. All of these are favorite spots for wintertime nesting grounds outside. Mice keep warm by huddling together under them like a blanket.
Winter Rodent Control
Keep your property free of any debris, twigs, or leaves. Mice keep warm there by burrowing under these materials. Cover all holes in your home’s exterior with metal screen extensions. Weatherstrip windows and doors to close them up and minimize rodents inside.
Piles of wood near structures provide mice a place for nesting during wintertime with scarcer food. Keep grasses from growing against walls near foundations. The same goes for hedges too close to the base in general.
Remove things like stacked household items in garages and sheds at least a foot away from the wall. Create a barrier between you and a mouse entering nearby. When you have an automatic bin vent garbage can nearby, keep it away from the wall. Make sure your property does not give them a reason to continue living there.
Call The Rodent, Rat, and Mouse Control Experts
The National Pest Management Association prevents rodent problems from ruining your home during winter with professional help. Learn how to keep rodents away from your house during winter. That is more than simply traps and poisons. Let rodents go away from your house during winter regardless of whether you live in the US, Canada, Great Britain, or Australia.
Rats and mice keep away from you when you let them go out of your home. Contact Biotech Termite and Pest Control today to keep rodents away from your house during winter by calling (516) 297-4168!
The National Pest Management Association team wishes you and your family the best this winter season! Stay warm and stay safe! You can go to Biotech offices.
Rats are annoying little animals! But you do not have to let them run rampant. Know what attracts them and figure out how to keep the pests away with professional pest control services. A trained technician can inspect your home for these creatures. He can also provide preventative measures.