The short answer is yes. Rats and mice tend to move around quite a lot during the warmest part of the year compared to other seasons. The reason? Just as rodents will seek shelter during the winter, they’ll do the same during the hot, dry summer. And since most homes have air conditioners these days, it makes things mighty enticing for rodents. They’re mammals like us, after all, and they don’t like the extreme heat any more than we do – and they have fur coats to boot!
How Do Rodents Get In?
Holes and Gaps – Pretty much any hole or gap around a door or window frame – provided the hole is larger than a dime – is big enough to let mice in. Rats are more devious and they can chew through wood and insulation, which makes keeping them out trickier. More on this later.
Vents – Specifically, dryer and gable vents.
Open Doors – If your garage is connected to your home, leaving your door open for long periods of time is an open invitation to have rodents come knocking.
Foundation Grates – Like dryer vents, foundation grates offer a way for rodents to enter undetected. After all, how many of us are inspecting grates daily? No one! We typically only scrutinize those places if there is a problem.
How to Keep Rodents Out
Cut Off Water Source
In the hot summer, animals will seek out water sources just as humans will reach for that cold beverage. By fixing things like leaky pipes, rodents won’t have a ready source of moisture.
Seal Entryways
Inspect your property for holes, broken pipe fixtures, anything that shouldn’t be opened. While nothing is a 100% guarantee, it will still slow them down. As we mentioned above, rats have powerful teeth and can gnaw through wooden structures. So even if you didn’t have any holes, it’s possible for rats to make their own entry!
Don’t Store Firewood Next to Your Home
Rats especially enjoy nesting in firewood piles, and if those piles are connected to your home, they might decide to venture inwards.
Keep Food In Locked Containers
Don’t leave food out on the counter and when taking out the trash, make sure to place garbage in sealed bins. If your bins have holes, rats and mice will tear right through the garbage bag to get at your food scraps. And always take your garbage out to be collected weekly. The longer you allow trash to accumulate, the more likely you are to encourage a rodent infestation.
Call Rodent Control Professionals
While not all rodents can carry disease, it’s really not worth putting your health or the health of your family in jeopardy. The bacteria and pathogens rodents are capable of carrying can cause major health problems. Even coming in contact with their fecal matter can be harmful. The professionals at Seitz Bros. have the equipment to address the problem quickly and safely. We also take a holistic approach to rodent infestations that includes a customized plan based on your property. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
Let the Experts At Seitz Bros. Handle Your Rodent Problem!
Don’t let mice and rats potentially expose your family to dangerous pathogens. The experts at Seitz Bros. can help rid your property of rodents! Our rodent control program will not only remove any critters on the property, w. wWe’ll also inspect your home to identify how they got in and take measures to block up entryways. We’ve been in business since 1975, so you can rest assured your home is in good hands. Let’s put our team of experts to work for you! Call 570-225-0034 or send us a message online here. Don’t forget to check out our blog for more tips on controlling annoying pests!
