Rodent control in the winter is important. When the weather starts to get cold, rodents look for a warm place to stay. If your home or business is providing them with that opportunity, they will take advantage of it. Rodents can cause a lot of damage and spread diseases, so it’s important to take steps to prevent them from entering your property. In this blog post, we will discuss why rodent control in the winter is so important and what you can do to keep rodents away from your property!
Why Rodent Control in the Winter is Important
While you may not see the immediate impact of a rodent infestation, aside from a mouse or rat scurrying across the floor, if not handled promptly and adequately, rodent infestations can become severe. Rodents are capable of destroying your property by chewing through wires, walls, and insulation.
Not only that, but rodent droppings can be extremely hazardous to your health. The feces can spread bacteria, trigger allergic reactions and contaminate food in the home. Moreover, feces can spread a number of different diseases, including:
- Bubonic Plague: The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, is a deadly bacterial infection spread by rodent fleas. It can cause fever, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Rat Bite Fever: Rat Bite Fever is an infectious disease spread by rodent saliva. It can cause fever, rash, joint pain, and vomiting.
- Leptospirosis: Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread through rodent urine. It can cause fever, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting. To prevent these diseases from entering your home or business
- Salmonellosis: Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection spread by rodent droppings. It causes diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
- Hantavirus: Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus that can cause severe respiratory illnesses.
Rodents Can Cause Fires
If the various diseases mentioned above haven’t convinced you that rodent control in the winter is important, what if we told you that rodents could cause fires? Rodents like to chew on anything they can get their teeth on, including electrical wires. If a rodent chews through an electrical wire, it could cause sparks and potentially start a fire. This is why it’s essential to rodent-proof your home or business against these unwanted intruders.
Tips for Rodent Control in the Winter
Rodent control in the winter is crucial to keeping your family, home, and business safe. Below are some tips on how you can rodent-proof your property to ensure that these pests stay away:
Make Sure to Seal Any Points of Entry
Rodents can squeeze through even the smallest of cracks and crevices, so it’s important to make sure that your property is sealed. Check for gaps around windows, doors, air vents, and other areas where rodents may enter and seal them off with caulk or steel wool.
Store Your Food and Your Animals Food
Rodents are always on the lookout for food, so it’s important to store your food and pet food properly. Make sure that all of your food and your pet’s food is stored in airtight containers. You should also make sure to monitor for crumbs under counters, your fridge, and any other appliances.
Maintain Your Landscaping
Rodents can hide in tall grass and shrubs, so it’s important to maintain your landscaping. Clear away any debris or piles of leaves, and keep your grass trimmed short. This will make it more difficult for rodents to find a place to hide.
Elevate Your Firewood
Do you burn wood to keep your home nice and warm during the winter? If so, you probably have a stockpile of lumber at the ready. What you may not know, though, is that rodents love to hide in piles of firewood, so it’s important to elevate them off the ground. If you can, store your firewood inside or place it on a raised platform that is at least 18 inches from the ground and away from your house.
Install A Brush Strip
Another thing you can do to help with rodent control in the winter is to consider installing a brush strip. A brush strip is a heavy vinyl material with bristles that line the bottom of your door. This will make it more difficult for rodents to enter your home as they won’t be able to squeeze through the bristles.
Get Rid of Clutter
Mice and rats thrive in areas with clutter because it provides the perfect hiding spots, especially when the clutter is in a part of the home that isn’t usually occupied. Because of this, an important component of rodent control in the winter is to get rid of clutter. Make sure to pay attention to areas like your basement, attic, and garage, and start by clearing out stacks of old newspapers and other junk. You’ll also want to make sure to pick up piles of laundry on the floor and use plastic bins to store your belongings instead of cardboard boxes.
Contact a Team of Professionals
While all the things we mentioned are important, contacting a team of professionals to handle your best control needs is the best form of rodent control in the winter. These pest professionals can inspect your property, identify rodent activity and entry points, and provide you with the best rodent control solutions.
Let Sigma Pest Help with Your Rodent Control in the Winter
Rodent control in the winter is essential to protecting your family, home, and business from damage caused by these pests. Following the tips above will help rodent-proof your property and keep rodents away. However, the most effective way to ensure rodent control in the winter is to contact a team of professionals like Sigma Pest who can provide you with the best rodent control solutions. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to keeping pests out of your home, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of professionals today!