Rodent season is upon us. You’ve probably heard that said with some sort of ominous undertones at one point or another.
Nothing makes homeowners cringe like the possibility of dealing with a rodent infestation.
Whether it be mice, rats, or other vermin, it is the time of year where we hear about them the most. Here is some background on just what rodent season is and what you can do to minimize damage and prevent it from happening to you.
Prepare For Rodent Season?
Rodent season refers to a period when mice and rats start to search for places to spend the winter. The season signals the beginning of cooler weather and the end of the breeding season. During warmer months, mice and rats breed seemingly non-stop. This may not seem like a huge problem until you realize each mouse can have up to 60 babies per year; rats can have up to 24. Mice also take only three weeks to reach sexual maturity so those babies can also contribute 60 babies to the environment.
Rodent season is slightly tricky to pin down to certain dates because different regions experience seasonal changes at varying times. Generally speaking, rodent season begins when the weather starts to cool. This can be anywhere from August to late October in the United States. Once it cools off hoards of vermin will begin their search for warmer spaces where they can hunker down for winter.
As the weather cools, mice and rats look for the most appealing and warmest spots to weather the winter months. Unfortunately, that usually means moving in uninvited to our homes, if possible. Not all mice and rats carry diseases, but many do. Maintaining a clean and healthy home is incredibly important, so keeping them vermin free can greatly contribute to that.
Not only do they carry harmful diseases but they can cause major damage to homes. Wires are often chewed, excrement is left along their main pathways, holes are made in walls, and oily marks are left on surfaces where they travel frequently.
Don’t worry; there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When the ground starts to thaw, and the temperatures gradually begin to get warmer, you can breathe more easily knowing that, for the most part, the rodents will begin to move back outside.
During the winter food is more scarce, so when Spring arrives their natural food sources outside of your home are more abundant. Rest assured that between March through May rodents will begin making their way back outdoors.
Article Courtesy Of: https://www.victorpest.com/articles/rodent-season