During the winter and fall, rodents sometimes make their way into homes, seeking shelter from the cold temperatures and an easy food source. If mice make a nest in your home during the winter, will they move out once the weather warms up? Not so fast, say the rodent control experts at Truly Nolen Pest Control. Just like humans, once a nest of rodents has found a comfy, secure place, they won’t want to move out. In the summer, they can escape the heat in a property owner’s home.

Mice Problems in Any Season

In the spring and summer, mice tend to be comfortable outside, with more food options and greater greenery coverage for nest building. As the temperatures drop in the fall and winter, some mice find their way into people’s homes and set up new nests. Once a family of mice has set up shop inside of a property’s home, it can be difficult to get them out, even in the spring and summer.  Despite their poor eyesight, they may move from an attic to the basement or behind kitchen cabinets where it’s cooler.

The spring is prime time for breeding season for most rodents, so if there is an issue with an infestation in the winter, by spring, it may become even more problematic. In just a few weeks, a pair of mice can multiply to dozens. Mice may be inside of the walls of a home, and removing them takes a professional with experience.

Signs of Rodents  

Homeowners should always be vigilant about a potential rodent problem. Having an unchecked rodent infestation can cause serious health issues with the people living inside the house. Their droppings and saliva may be carrying diseases that could be passed onto humans. Mice and other rodents may also be carrying parasites that cause illness. Additionally, some people with asthma or allergies may be triggered by the presence of rodents in the home.

Rodents typically leave signs of their presence around the house. If any droppings are noticed, it’s a sure sign of mice or other rodents. Mice sometimes leave behind an ammonia smell inside of drawers or cabinets. At night, homeowners may hear quiet sounds of scratching or even scurrying around in various parts of the house. Sometimes, they may leave behind chew marks on various items in the kitchen.

Rodent Control Strategies

If you suspect you have rodents, it’s vital to get help from a professional to keep the problem from getting worse. One way to solve a rodent problem is to keep the property secure and seal up any potential entry points. A skilled rodent control professional can help with this step and inspect your home for possible points of entry.

Another strategy to prevent a rodent problem is to survey the yard and eliminate any things that attract them. This means keeping the grass cut and trimming back any overgrown foliage or shrubbery. Trash, recycling and compost areas should also be secure and clean. Pet areas should not have open containers of food or other items that may be enticing to rodents.

Truly Nolen is also able to remove rodents residing in the walls and other areas of a homeowner’s property. Once rodents are removed, the area needs to be sanitized and secured again to keep mice from trying to get back inside. This is a challenging task best left up to the professionals. A winter rodent problem can get out of control and much worse during the spring breeding season. Truly Nolen Pest Control can help homeowners safely remove rodents from their homes and avoid a summer infestation. Learn more about rodent prevention and how the professionals keep them from coming back.