Once the temperatures drop, many animals go into hibernation. However, rodents are one of those pests that stay active all year round and try to adapt to the new season and surroundings. As winter approaches, rodents look for the warmest and most appealing spots to wait out the cold.
The most common types of rodents in Southern Ontario are the Norway rat, the house mouse, and the roof rat. In populated areas, these pests tend to live near readily available food sources, near humans and away from predators. They commonly infest attics, wall voids and other hard-to-reach places.
With many businesses and restaurants being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rodents are even more so on the move searching for new sources of food. Due to social distancing and isolation, there is less garbage in dumpsters and on the streets, eliminating the main source of food for rats. This causes them to migrate elsewhere – one of their favourite places being warm homes filled with food.
Common Rodent Problems in the Winter
During the winter season, people need to be more careful than ever to protect their homes against these intruders. The cold weather makes it harder for them to find food outside, so mice and other rodents usually enter homes looking for food and avoid predators.
On top of it all, these unwanted guests usually don’t come alone – they bring along a host of disease organisms and parasites with them. Rodents that tear into bags of trash can easily transfer germs and bacteria to everything they touch afterward. They can transmit various kinds of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections causing gastrointestinal illnesses such as Salmonella, all while causing stress and anxiety among occupants.
Besides carrying harmful diseases, they can also cause major damage to your property. They might chew wires, storage boxes and support beams, leave excrement along their main path, make holes in the walls and make your home look dirty and unsanitary.
DIY Tactics & Why They Don’t Work
While DIY winter rodent control may work in some cases, it is not the best long-term solution. Chances are, you can only get rid of a few rodents on your own, but what happens if you have dozens of them hiding in the walls? Most people decide to take things in their hands and place traps with bait in a couple of areas within their homes.
Mouse traps can be effective when set correctly, however, in most cases, when applied by an untrained person, they can be highly ineffective. Pest control professionals can assess exactly where to place them, how many units to place as well as what kinds of baits to use.
And when it comes to bait, many people think that they can just put as much cheese on the trap as possible and the rodents will come for their food. Nevertheless, overloading a trap with the wrong bait or with too much of it can cause the device not to work properly. Technicians know just how much food they need to put on the bait and in which manner so that it entices the intruders and ensures the trap will properly function.
Call a Rodent Control Company
One of the most effective ways to fight rodent infestations and permanently get rid of these pests is to call a winter rodent control company and have experienced professionals get the job done for you. Rodent removal must be done immediately so that you don’t end up dealing with these pests all winter long. Pest control companies have trained professionals, proven strategies and the necessary equipment to drive rodents away from your home and prevent them from returning year after year.
These professional technicians are licensed to use different methods and formulas that are highly effective for the long-term removal of rodents. Most experts use anticoagulants – blood thinners that are added to meal baits. These ingredients reduce the clotting ability in mice, which also eliminates post-treatment odor problems.
Food contamination, disease and property damage are all common issues when dealing with a rodent infestation in winter or any other season. To combat these problems, contact Action Pest for safe, efficient and affordable winter rodent control and removal. Give yourself and your family peace of mind by hiring professional rodent control and eliminating the rodent problems that these pests can pose on your health. Check out our website, we offer nothing but excellent service and unmatchable prices!
