Where Do Mice Go in the Winter?
Mice prefer to stay warm and cozy, so where do they go when winter temperatures turn outdoor environments frosty?
Here in the Northeast, where deer mice, house mice, and white-footed mice are among the prevalent species, it’s not unusual for mouse activity to continue year-round. The problem is that as temperatures plummet in fall and frigid winter weather sets in, most mice seek out warmer areas to call home — possibly even your home.
Mice can often be found inside homes year-round but can be heard more in the colder months because they tend to gravitate toward the warmest parts of the house. For example, mice will nest inside and underneath insulation — while sitting on top of the attic drywall trying to stay warm, they are more likely to be heard by homeowners.
What does that mean for you? Let’s take a closer look at typical mice activity during winter and how you can avoid an infestation.
Do Mice Hibernate?
Contrary to what you might think, mice don’t hibernate. Instead, they remain active year-round. Food scarcity and intense, cold temperatures do cause many animals to go into hibernation during winter. This dormant state is marked by decreased metabolism and heart rate, which allows them to survive the season.
Although many rodents, including arctic ground squirrels, do hibernate throughout most of winter while waiting for warmer weather, mice do not hibernate at all. Instead, these rodents spend the winter seeking (or enjoying) shelter and foraging for food. Outdoors, mice also have to worry about avoiding predators. They often burrow into the ground to nest or move into homes and other buildings.
In fact, more than 20 million homes across the United States deal with rodents every year.
Mice Activity and Habitats
Mice can adapt to various habitats, ranging from the great outdoors to human structures. As the temperatures outside drop, mice and many types of nuisance wildlife seek warm, safe places to nest and survive the winter.
Although mice can invade homes, businesses, and other properties any time of year, people often see more indoor activity in fall and winter. Mice can make homes in burrows, brush and debris piles, and tree trunks outdoors in warm weather. However, as food becomes more scarce and the weather turns cold, mice start actively seeking shelter. In many cases, that means inside people’s homes.
Mice activity during winter predominantly includes foraging for food, nesting in areas like wall cavities and insulation, and reproducing. Mice have a short gestation period of only three weeks, and females can give birth to another litter as soon as 25 days after the first. Each female may produce 35 babies per year.
This underscores the problem that mice can pose. With reproductive numbers like that, even a small mouse problem can quickly grow into a large-scale infestation.
Signs of Mice Inside Your House
The sooner you realize you have a mouse problem, the better. Professional control is a must to ensure you thoroughly evict these critters from your home or business in any season. What are the top signs that mice are spending the winter inside your property?
Droppings
Mice are nocturnal, and because they’re more active at night, you may not ever see a live mouse in your house. These pests are also messy and tend to leave droppings in their wake, practically everywhere they go. Trails or piles of what looks similar to chocolate sprinkles is a tell-tale sign of mouse activity.
Scurrying Noises
Although you may not see them, you could hear mice as they scamper about. Hearing scratching or running noises in walls and ceilings, particularly at night, can be a sign you have a problem.
Chew Marks
Like other rodents, mice are big chewers. They may tear through your pantry, leaving food and wrappers behind. Mice also chew on structural elements, wiring, boxes, and more.
Mouse Trails
Droppings aren’t all these creatures leave behind. You may notice streaks of urine or greasy-looking gray or brown smudges along baseboards, walls, and other heavily traveled pathways and entrances.
How to Keep Mice Outside
Not only can these tiny terrors wreak havoc and destruction, but they can also pose a serious health risk. Mice droppings, urine, and saliva could contaminate food, water, and surfaces with pathogens that can cause diseases like hantavirus or leptospirosis. Mice can also introduce other pests to the indoor environment, including fleas, mites, and ticks.
So, how can you keep them outside?
Professional Exclusion Services
Prevention is worth everything, particularly when it comes to mice and other rodents. Catseye Pest Control’s Cat-Guard Residential Rodent and Wildlife Exclusion Systems provide an innovative, permanent solution. Like our Commercial Exclusion Systems, these rigid barriers seal off potential entry points, keeping rodents and nuisance wildlife from being able to enter the premises. Best of all, they’re safe, humane, and chemical-free.
Strategic Landscaping
Mice thrive where there is harborage because it makes them feel safe. Cleaning up debris piles, storing firewood away from your home, and trimming back trees and shrubs away from the building can help reduce these harborage conditions. Likewise, ensure you keep your garbage in rodent-proof containers.
Remove Food Sources
When mice come inside in winter, they are primarily looking for food and shelter. Proper sanitation and eliminating food sources, in conjunction with exclusion, can make a significant difference. Keep counters and floors clean and store food (including pet food) in rodent-proof containers.
Contact Catseye for More Information
Now that you know where mice typically go in winter and the clues to watch for, hopefully, you will spot any signs of mouse activity early. Whether you need professional removal and rodent control services or you want to learn more about our exclusion systems, Catseye is here to help. Schedule a free inspection to get started.
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