It may seem that the cold of winter sends pests into hibernation, but there is actually quite an amazing amount of activity among insects, rodents, and nuisance wildlife pests during the winter months. And, often, that activity is within the walls of your home.
In this three-part article are some of the more active of winter pests, how and why they come into your home, and complete sources of information on the pests and what you can do to control them.
Following are rodents, nuisance wildlife; Part 2 includes ants and cockroaches; and Part 3 discusses pantry pests and bed bugs.
Rodents
Why and how they enter. Rats and mice will live outdoors during the temperate months when and where there is plenty of food. But once the temperatures start to cool and the food begins to become scarce – or covered with snow, the rodents will seek more welcoming harborage. A crack or gap as small as 1/4 inch in diameter – in the foundation, under doors, or around pipes and wires – can provide just the entry point that a mouse needs to make its way into the warmth of your home. (A rat needs about 1/2-inch diameter hole.) Then once inside, it can start scavenging for food, usually at night when you are fast asleep.
Busting Myths. A standard method of determining whether mice or rats were infesting your home has traditionally been looking for their droppings. However, new research is showing that rodents will sometimes refrain from defecating, or even eat their own feces, in order to prevent predators from tracking their presence through that.
Thus, while presence of rodent feces will still indicate past or current presence, the absence of such does not necessarily mean that rodents are not present.
For Rodent Control Information, read:
- Get Rid of Rats and Mice
- Controlling Pests That Pester You: Rats and Mice
- How to Get Rid of Rats
- How to Know if You Still have Mice or Rats
- 8 Steps to Prepare for Rodent Control Service
Nuisance Wildlife
Why and how they enter. Squirrels, raccoon, and bats are three of the nuisance wildlife pests that are most likely to try to enter your home. Although rodents are more likely to come in and establish themselves on ground floors (except roof rats that, as their name indicates, prefer high places), you are most likely to find these wildlife pests in attics and other such undisturbed areas. Additionally, these animals aren't just looking for a place to ride out the cold, they are usually seeking the warm shelter for breeding and raising young. In fact, rather than scavenging for food in the family's kitchen – as rodents do, these adult will leave the shelter to seek food outside then return to feed the young.
Busting Myths. Bats are, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood and most feared of creatures, yet much of the beliefs held about them are simply not true. One of the most common myths is that bats cannot see (Have you ever heard "Blind as a bat"?). Bats use echolocation to sense their surroundings and see as well as humans. Additionally: Bats do not actively attack humans, get tangled in their hair, or suck their blood. There is such thing as a vampire bat, but these live only in Central and South America and feeds on animal blood, similar to the also-not-a-vampire mosquito, bed bug, or tick.
For Wildlife Control Information, read: