Are You Prepared for Rodents Making Your House Their Home This Winter?

Are You Prepared for Rodents Making Your House Their Home This Winter?

Many animals seek solace and a place to hibernate in the winter so that their families have a safe place to sleep. The question is, will your home be able to survive if those rodents choose your house to hibernate in? When rodents hibernate, they will be dormant throughout the entire season, which means they could be living in your home for longer than you want them to. Another issue to be aware of is that many rodents are just as active in the winter as any other season. What this means is that if they choose your house to nest in and they are busy, your home is going to become a breeding ground for wildlife. You will need to know what to look for because rodents cause damage to your structure and carry diseases that can and will spread.

What You Should Look For:

Chipmunks

Chipmunks are animals that typically prefer to live underground, but they are also quite elaborate on the way that they tunnel. Because of this, they usually enter a home through a window sill that has been compromised or underneath your deck if you have one. They look for an accessible entrance or even a crawl space and then burrow because they are looking for warmer ground. They don't tend to enter homes throughout the year and are typically erratic when they do. It's more likely that you will hear squirrels.

Squirrels

Squirrels are much more likely to be found in your home, particularly so in high areas and vulnerable places. There are quite a few ways that they can get into your home, but their favorite is to jump from a branch that will be hanging over your roof. When they get onto your roof, they will chew through the vent covers and then make their way into your house. If they can't do that, they will find a way to eat into the eaves and come in that way because this is where the heat is coming out of your home. Your sewer exhaust pipe gaskets are another favorite of theirs, and they will chew through that gasket to have a fresh way directly to your attic. The last way that they love to enter your home is through the soffit-intersection of the roof. That is what occurs when you have a spot on your roof line that crosses over another roof. The squirrels will hide in the nook and then chew through your eaves trough and get into your attic as well.

Rats and Mice

Mice and rats love the warmth they find in homes, and the problem here is that they breed like crazy. They turn your home into theirs, and they love chewing through electrical wires (which will cause a house fire), and they eat wood as well. To show you the severity of these rodents entering your home, one female mouse can have over a dozen babies in less than a month. Imagine what could happen if they all begin chewing on your wires. It would be a dangerous situation that you don't want your family to go through. Keeping your home clutter-free and making sure that your firewood away from your house, you can help make sure that your home won't get infected. You should also make sure to seal any cracks and holes and pay close attention to the pipes because they use these to enter your home as well. As such, make sure that the weather stripping and mortar stripping around the windows and foundation are taken care of.

Places in Your House Where Rodents Hide

There is an abundance of places in your home where these little critters make themselves feel comfortable. Their goal is to find a warm site, and that is close to food and adequate airflow as well. They all like the same spots in general, and they live in these places for a long time because they can hide so well. They love to burrow in your attics, your air ducts or ventilation systems, the walls, or basements and crawl spaces. You can even find them hiding behind cabinets!

Because squirrels are more significant than the other rodents on the list, they will be easier to spot. They are also day creatures. Because they are not nocturnal, they are going to be running around during the day when you are awake as well. They won't go to extraordinary lengths to find you, but you will be able to hear them.

These rodents are found everywhere in the United States, but the type you see will depend on where you live. Knowing this fact, you can prepare and make sure that the chances of having your home invaded. If you can't have this problem be avoided, then you need to make sure to have pest control come to your house to make sure that your wires will be safe and so disease will not be spread among your loved ones.