It is not just snow and cheer in Elgin during the holiday season. As the weather cools in the Fox River valley and families plan to gather, unwanted visitors tend to try to settle in for the winter in your home. As you deck the halls this holiday season, mice and rats are searching for warmth, food, and shelter in your home during the chilly Illinois winter.
Holiday decorations packed in attics, along with extra food in pantries, will be among the prime entry points these damaging pests need to make themselves at home. Act now, before deep-freeze conditions set in, and safeguard the family home before plumbing-related damage threatens the spirit of the holidays. DIY prevention certainly helps; however, talking to pointepestcontrol.net will also help prevent pests in your home during the season.
Why the Holidays Bring Rodent Activity in Elgin
According to local pest management data, service requests for rodents in Kane County increase by at least 40% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. There are many reasons behind this seasonal spike:
- Temperature Drops: When overnight temperatures around the Fox River fall below freezing, mice can sense the heat radiating from your home, especially from its foundation and walls.
- Food Abundance: Holiday baking and groceries, as well as decorative bowls of nuts or candy, are irresistible attractions for hungry rodents.
- Cluttered Storage: Bringing holiday boxes down from attics or garages disrupts the nesting sites of mice, which seek refuge in your home.
Areas Most at Risk During the Holiday Season
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Attics and Crawl Spaces
Most of the year, these spaces are filled with holiday decorations, providing an undisturbed nesting area. They chew through cardboard boxes and build nests in faux Christmas trees. Elgin homeowners will find the insulation in their attics a suitable material for bedding, and roof vents sometimes have holes that the mouse can easily fit through.
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Garages and Basements
Many Elgin houses have used them as fridges or freezers during the holiday season. Heat from these appliances, coupled with gaps around utility lines, creates a welcome mat for rodents. Many older Elgin homes, particularly those built before 1970, experience foundation cracks that widen during the winter freeze-thaw cycle.
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Kitchen and Pantry Areas
With holiday cooking, there is generally more food waste and crumbs. A mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime; the space behind your stove or under the cabinets is a hidden highway through your home. When pet food is stored in its original bags, it becomes an all-you-can-eat buffet for the critters in the garage.
Simple Rodent-Proofing Steps Before Winter Deepens
- Seal exterior gaps: Fill any exterior cracks or holes larger than a quarter-inch with steel wool and caulk as you walk around the perimeter of your home. You need to look around the foundation where the utility pipes enter, especially.
- Trim vegetation: Prune tree branches within 6 ft of your roof; and trim shrubs away from your basis. Rodents use these as bridges to access the upper floors of your home.
- Secure food sources: Move pantry foods, pet food, and birdseed into hard plastic or metal containers with tight lids. Pick up the seed that falls under feeders during the season.
- Inspect holiday decorations: Inspect boxes before bringing them inside by checking your garage or driveway for any signs of droppings or chewing. Try storing with plastic storage containers.
- Install door sweeps: Add weatherstripping to garage doors and install door sweeps. Despite its size, it is very easy for a mouse to gain access through.
- Clean gutters: Clogged gutters filled with leaves and debris cause water damage that softens the wood, making it easier for rodents to chew through.
Do You Need Professional Intervention?
For prevention, it requires more than just DIY on weekends. For years, Pointe Pest Control has been helping Elgin homeowners with the unique issues posed by local architecture and climate. They provide comprehensive inspections that identify access points most homeowners overlook, such as openings in soffit vents or broken foundation seals, which are common in homes in the Lord’s Park and Festival Park areas.