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3 Things You Need To Do Now To Prevent A Winter Rodent Infestation

30 July 2020

Alide Oortwijn

If you're like many homeowners, you're too busy enjoying the summer to spend much time worrying about getting ready for winter. However, spending a bit of time now on prevention strategies designed to keep rodents from infiltrating your home for the winter will ensure that you also enjoy the holiday season and beyond after temperatures turn cold. Keep in mind that early-to-late autumn, depending on location, is when rodent species such as mice and rats begin their migration to indoor environments to keep cozy for the cold months ahead. As soon as nighttime temperatures begin to drop, rodents will follow their instincts to seek warmer pastures. Here's what you should be doing right now to circumvent a winter rodent infestation. 

Remove Brush From Your Property

Rodents love using vegetative debris for their summer habitat, so make sure you clear your yard of all brush so that they'll be forced to move farther afield. This will result in your home being less of a convenient target when they begin to seek winter accommodations. You should pay particular attention to the spaces immediately outside your home, particularly those areas that tend to be neglected such as where air conditioning compressors are located.  

Seal Up Any Possible Entry Points

Now is the perfect time to thoroughly inspect the exterior of your home for any possible entry points that rodents might use to access your home interior when temperatures start to dip. This needs to be done as soon as possible because waiting until it's already getting colder at night comes with the risk of sealing in rodents who have already gotten inside. Seal up anything that even looks like a rodent might be able to get through — the average small mouse can wriggle through an opening as small as a dime. 

Consider Pest Control Insulation

Pest control insulation is designed to be blown onto the surface of your existing insulation. It completely eliminates holes, cracks, and other possible imperfections in your insulation that may allow a rodent to slither through. This type of insulation also guards against entry by insects, and as an added bonus, its superior thermal properties will help keep heating and cooling costs down. 

Keep in mind that there's no one-size-fits-all answer to rodent control, and no one strategy with the power to do it all. It takes a customized combination of techniques to ensure a rodent-free household. A local pest control company can provide you with more information on getting started now.   

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