Why Do Rodents Thrive in Winter? 

Have you ever noticed that you are more likely to see rodents inside in the winter? While rodents, like most other animals, do their best in warm weather, they are hardy animals. If they can find a warm place to live, they do great over the winter. Not only can they survive, but they can also have babies. That means that if even a single mother rodent makes her home in your house or business, you can quickly have a winter rodent infestation.

They need food, water, and shelter. So, rodents have a few tricks they use to make it through the winter.

What tricks do rodents use to make it through the winter?

While some animals fatten themselves up to survive the winter, rodents do not. Instead, they stockpile food so that they have a constant source of food for the winter. That means that rodent prevention begins before winter. Make sure you do not have any tempting food sources for rodents in your home. Put all food in secure, closed containers. Do not forget the pet food, which is a common source of food for rodents. Also keep in mind that rodents are not picky, so you need to keep garbage cans secure, as well. That is especially important for commercial areas, which may have dumpsters.

To keep warm, rodents make nests. They gather materials to line the nest, so if you notice torn or missing fabric, insulation, or other materials, you may have rodents stealing it to make their nest. However, you are unlikely to spot the nests unless you are specifically looking for them, because rodents make their nests in warm and dark places.

Rodents need the same things we need to survive the winter. They are also surprisingly smart. If there is a way to get into your home, they will find a way to do it. They can come in under floorboards, through tiny little chinks in your home, under doors, through drain spouts, and through vents. If you have a space bigger than a pencil eraser, a rodent can shimmy into your home.

The real trick is that, once you have spotted rodents, you probably already have an infestation. Rodents are great at hiding. Fortunately, Flick offers pest control solutions that can help keep you pest free. We know how to spot rodents and offer an array of prevention and treatment solutions, including our residential ‘subscribe and save’ Home Protection subscription plans programs, and our SMART Digital Pest Control for commercial premises. To find out more, give us a call today!