When Mice and Rats Come Knocking

When winter rolls around, sometimes all we want to do is sit by a cozy fire and relax. It turns out that many wild animals in Central TN feel the same. All sorts of pests try to find their way into our homes, but some of the most worrisome of these are rodents. Rats and mice are the worst offenders of breaking into our homes and building nests, causing damage (and even fire hazards), spreading filth, and possibly contaminating our homes with disease. To learn what to do to prevent a rodent infestation this year, read on for advice from The Bug Man’s technicians!

Mice and Rats in the Wall Want 3 Things

Rodents, like all other wild animals, have to take precautions to prepare themselves for a long, cold winter. They need to maintain themselves through finding a consistent hideout that creates ample resource accessibility. These are the three things that rodents need to get through the winter:

1. Warmth: Our insulated homes provide a warm place for rats and mice to hide when temperatures drop below sustainable levels.
2. Shelter: Rodents, especially mice, have lots of natural predators roaming around Central TN. They build nests inside our homes to have a safe place to hide out.
3. Food: Although they can go for a while without food, rats and mice will never pass up a carb-heavy snack or some leftovers from our trash.

How to Keep Rats and Mice Outside

Some of us are familiar with the sound of rodents scurrying around in our walls, but many of us have trouble even locating their nests, let alone getting rid of them entirely. The best way to prevent a rodent infestation is to set preventative measures in place to keep them out of your home in the first place. Here are our top tips:

• Seal off any potential access points. Rats only need about ½” of space to crawl through; mice, just ¼”! Seal any cracks in your foundation, walls, and roofing, and install screens on doors, windows, vents, and chimneys.
• Prevent food access. This can be done by cleaning dishes promptly, quickly wiping up spills, using sealable trash bags, and taking your garbage out as often as possible.
• Maintain your yard. Keep mulch away from the foundation of your home, clean up any yard waste piles, and keep your grass cut short to prevent outdoor hiding places.

Professional Rodent Exclusion with The Bug Man

If you’re already dealing with rodent issues or are looking to take a militant stand against rats and mice this winter, reach out to your local pest control company. We train our technicians to keep rodents out through a multi-step process of holistic inspections, multiple options for extermination and removal, including baits, traps, and relocation, and preventative maintenance to keep rodents out all year long. Contact our rodent removal team today for a free quote!