California is home to movie stars, theme parks, and countless beaches. Although this state offers a wide variety of advantages, it is also home to countless pests that are commonly encountered by Californians. This winter, homes are not spared by the presence of pests as these pests may be enjoying the comforts of your warm home. Since winter brings cold, chilling temperatures, expect to have different types of rodents come and share your home. Here are some of the pests that you may see at home:

House mouse

Around this time of year, the regular house mouse will search for a way to survive the winter. It will go from place to place to find a suitable house. They can enter in a variety of ways. Because they are small, it is likely that they will eventually find a way to get in. A house mouse weighs just an ounce and has a body length of just two inch, allowing it to slip through a hole even if the hole is just a bit bigger than a pencil.

Norway rat

Norway rats are large rats that are about 8 3/4 inches and a tail span of 7 1/2 inches. They are good at surviving and love to stay in wet underground places. Since the winter offers wet areas, these rats may be found in basements, subway stations, and sewers. During the winter months these rats will be in search of food. They will invade garbage cans near homes, which may lead them inside a house. If they do get in, they will search for more food. They may also stay in attics to escape the cold temperature or to nest and raise their young. The damage these rats can do is severe and they are known for carrying different types of diseases.

Protecting your home

• To prevent these pests from doing harm to your home, make certain to seal up every opening that you can find. Although sealing all entry points is difficult, especially since the house mouse can enter even the smallest holes, searching for these places and sealing them off can do a lot to help pest-proof your home.
• Look at all your doors, particularly your garage doors, as they provide a convenient entry point for rodents. Make certain that there is a good weather-stripping around the doors.
• When it comes to roof rats, make certain to harvest citrus and other fruits so that they will not be attracted to your trees and climb into your attic. Clean your yard and landscape. Do not leave pet food outside since you may be unknowingly giving food to them.
• If rodents have already found their way inside your home, use traps or poison to get rid of them.
• Traps come in a variety of styles. The most commonly used trap is the snap trap that is made of a piece of flat wood, a tightly wound spring, and a triggering platform to capture the rat. Other types of traps are sticky traps that can easily capture the house mouse. Traps should be placed in areas where rodents are commonly seen.
• Poison on the other hand can be effectively given as bait. Place the poison in food that rats are attracted to and allow the rat to consume it. While poison can be effective in getting rid of these winter pests, they may also cause some negative effects to a home. This is especially true if the mouse dies inside the house, eventually leading to an odor problem. It may become even worse, if the mouse is not found right away. Poison is also dangerous to pets and children so it is necessary to place them in areas where your pets and kids cannot find them.

If you’re having problems with pests at home, call Preventive Pest Control. For more information about pest control in California, visit Corona Pest Control or Orange County Pest Control.