How favorable the winter will be for the mouse depends on whether it was able to find suitable housing with a sufficient supply of food in the fall. The ideal option is a warm human home, a cellar, a granary or a room for keeping animals.
In natural conditions, rodents have to take care of survival in the cold season on their own.
How do mice spend the winter?
Most people think that winter is the busiest time of year for pest control professionals.
They speculate that cold weather drives rodents and insects into warm homes and attics. While this is partly true, the largest number of applications are received in August and fall. Mice are an exception to this rule. Pest control services receive more calls about mouse problems during the winter. These tiny rodents mate and reproduce year-round, and become extremely active in winter as the days get shorter and temperatures drop.
It is difficult to find food when the ground is covered with snow, so they have to rely on supplies made in the summer. When rodents become desperate because food supplies are running low, they raid pantries, basements, and other places where food can be found.
Mice need about three grams of food to survive and very little water.
Common food sources for mice include:
· Bird feeders and seeds in the garden
. Bird feeders in the yard are a favorite food source for city mice. They collect all the seeds that fall to the ground and carry them to their nest. Even an old bag of grass in your garage can serve as a food source for mice living in or near your home.
· Pet food
. We often find pet food in attics that mice brought there from other places.
· Garbage bins
. All organic waste must be properly stored and removed promptly.
· Nuts and seeds
. Any fallen seeds and nuts from trees are a favorite treat for mice.
Ways to fight and protect
The main difficulty in the fight against field mice is that they live in places hidden from human eyes. This means that catching or poisoning them is quite problematic. Therefore, the primary task in the fight against voles is the need to find and destroy their housing . You can do this in the following ways.
We drive mice away from the territory
First of all, you need to try to drive rodents out of the area:
- Mow tall grass, remove dry leaves and weeds. You also need to get rid of branches and piles of plant debris. All of these are great places to build burrows.
- Fruits that have fallen from the tree should not remain on the site, as they are an easily accessible source of food for voles.
- Digging up the area can help get rid of holes and underground passages.
- To prevent rodents from damaging fruit trees, a fine mesh net is dug into the ground around the trunks. The same can be done around the perimeter of the entire site.
We use repellers
The use of special repellent devices can speed up the process of expelling voles from your territory. They are installed around the perimeter of the site and provide protection from moisture.
We use mousetraps
Ordinary mousetraps can also help in the fight against mice. Experienced gardeners recommend installing these devices on the site in early spring and late autumn , since it is at this time that mice reproduce most actively. To prevent harm to pets, mouse traps can be covered with a box; this will not stop mice in pursuit of the bait.
We use poisons
At the end of winter and beginning of spring, the use of poisons is very effective. At this time, mice are hungry and not very picky about food. Poisons are placed directly in burrows.
Where do mice live in winter?
Mice do not hibernate and remain active throughout the winter. In winter, they will spend more time indoors, but often go outside. Rodents establish nests in close proximity to food sources in quiet areas free from human activity and predators.
The spaces behind walls and ceilings are a favorite place for animals. These are places where mice can store food, mate and raise young. Mice only come out into the open spaces of the house if they are desperate for food.
What can you do?
If you notice mouse activity in your home this winter, it's best to call the professionals. Our experts begin with a thorough inspection of your home and attic, then develop a rodent extermination plan. Call us today and find out the details of the procedure.
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