In the fall and winter mice and rats invade homes in record numbers, looking for food and a more comfortable place to spend the cooler months. The question many people ask us is, How do mice and rats get in? The short answer is, Very easily! Mice and rats have an amazing ability to squeeze through small holes. A young mouse can easily squeeze through a hole even smaller than a dime: a young rat can squeeze through a hole smaller than a quarter. Amazing! And if the opening is too small, they will often make it bigger by gnawing around the edges. Openings around service conduits like electricity and phone lines, and water pipes, provide easy access indoors and between apartments. Dryer vents and gaps around window-installed air conditioner units are other common entry points. Rodents can also crawl up through drain pipes not properly capped, as well as under exterior doors that don t seal well. Rats reach roof areas easily by tight-rope walking along utility li
FALL INVADERS ARE COMING! In the fall a wide variety of pests begin invading homes because of environmental cues such as shorter and cooler days, plus less food available outside. They start by seeking shelter in cracks and crevices, then gradually follow these openings deeper inside until they often pop out right into our living and storage areas. Although a few of these pests may become immediately noticeable; many lie quiet until awakened by a warmer period from fall to early spring. Responding partly to interior lights (which they mistake for a bright spring day), the pests continue crawling deeper inside. Some of the newer pests that do this include stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, and western conifer seed bugs that are all spreading to new areas. Others that continue to be serious fall invaders include cluster flies and face flies, boxelder bugs, elm leaf beetles, root weevils and clover mites. Some pests invade year-round, but much more so in the fall. These include rats, mice,