Taking advantage of winter warm-ups? Well, so are rodents

Most of us like to get outside when the weather warms up, and rodents are no exception.

Business usually ramps up for the Orkin Canada pest control office in St. John's when the weather turns cold in the fall and rodents look for a warm place to hole up, but then slows down in the winter months.

"This year is a little different because they're going in and going out due to fluctuations in weather," said Ken Penney, Orkin's provincial branch manager. 

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There certainly has been plenty of variation in the temperature so far this winter — it can go from freezing cold one day to balmy the next and back again — and with rats and mice are moving around more too, Orkin's phone is ringing more often than it did this time last year.

Where do they go?

Once rodents get inside, they can make a home for themselves just about anywhere that has a food and water source and a safe place to hide.

Orkin's technicians have discovered mice inside loaves of bread or cereal boxes, but they can most often be found nesting in furnace rooms, crawl spaces or insulated openings in the wall where piping comes into the home.

Kitchen appliances also make for convenient and cozy hiding spots.

"There's always a gap under the dishwasher, it's closer to the food source, it's nice and warm because all that hot water is coming through … or behind the stove, under the warming pan."

Mice and rats are attracted by food crumbs and scraps, pet food, and "pretty much anything that's organic in or around the home."

Invest in a pooper scooper

Penney said mice need very little food to survive, and can get by without a water source because they can obtain the moisture they need through the food they eat. 

Rats are a bit different. They need about six ounces of water a day, which they can find inside homes from pet bowls, the base of a potted plant, leaky taps, or condensation on pipes. And they aren't picky eaters.

"Rats will actually feed on dog fecal matter out in your yard, so oftentimes if someone is not on the ball with cleaning up then usually they will obtain a rat issue," said Penney.

'Recipe for disaster'

Dog feces that accumulates over the winter and isn't picked up once the snow melts is a big reason rat sightings increase in the spring.

"Everything melts and it's just there, and if you tag that with a hole in your house or an entry point, then you've pretty much got yourself a recipe for disaster." 

Penney advises doing a thorough check of the outside of your home in the spring and fall to look for holes or openings the crafty critters can squeeze through.

"Mice can get in through a hole that's a quarter-of-an-inch, about the size of a dime, and rats can get in through holes half-an-inch, or the size of a quarter," said Penney.   

Homeowners should also check seals on doors — if you can see daylight it's a possible entry point — and in and under sheds, garages and items being stored under tarps to see if there are any unwelcome tenants.