Rodent Season in Richmond
Autumn rolls around and as the leaves fall and the temperatures get colder, the rodents will ramp up their activities, searching for food sources and safe, warm places to wait out the winter. Unfortunately, your home often provides the perfect place for rodents to nest in. Rats will get inside your crawl space and attic, often raiding your kitchen for food. Mice will tunnel through your attic insulation and chew on wires. Squirrels will rip up your attic insulation to make their nests, bringing in outside nesting material and creating a potential fire hazard. Groundhogs will den underneath your yard, and the burrows they dig create dangerous conditions in your yard. Thankfully, Critter Authority offers the best rodent control, wildlife removal, and wildlife exclusion services in the Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover areas. Contact our team to get started today with a FREE estimate at (804) 492-2804!
Rat Activity in the Fall
Unlike other rodents, rats are unique in the sense that they cannot survive without humans. Rats rely on infesting our homes and businesses for food and shelter, so when food gets scarce and the weather gets cold, rats will do whatever it takes to set up shop inside your home. Rats will raid your trash cans, pantry, and kitchen for any sources of food they can find, and in the process they will contaminate your food preparation surfaces and kitchen counters with their urine and droppings. Rats will gnaw on everything in sight, and they will rub up against baseboards as they move through the house, leaving greasy marks behind from their fur. Rats breed quickly, and soon an infestation of rats in your home in the fall can spread to your crawl space, attic, wall voids, and more. Don’t worry, Critter Authority offers the best rat pest control services in the Richmond area.
Mouse Activity in the Fall
During the fall, mice will also begin looking for places that can sustain them for the coming winter. The unique challenge with mice is that they are so small and so adept at hiding, that homeowners often don’t even realize that they have a mice infestation until it’s already too late. Mice love to feed on small grains and cereal, so you will often find chewed holes inside stored, dry food. Similar to rats, mice will contaminate food preparation surfaces and gnaw on everything in sight. Mice will chew through the rubber covering around wires, exposing the bare wiring which can lead to a house fire. Mice will also tunnel through your insulation, ruining its ability to resist heat, which is especially important during the harsh temperatures of winter.
Squirrel Activity in the Fall
During the fall, you might spot squirrels in Richmond scurrying around, gathering and burying nuts, often gorging themselves on food in order to put on weight for the winter. Squirrels spend the fall building up “caches”, which are large stores of food that they will go back to when food is less available in the winter. Squirrels will be on the lookout for safe, warm places to nest that are protected from predators, and your attic is the perfect spot for them. Squirrels will shred your insulation to make their nests, gnaw and scratch everything, and soil your insulation with their urine and droppings, the smell of which can attract even more squirrels. Squirrels may also build caches inside your home itself, leaving massive piles of nuts and seeds inside your attic or wall voids.
Groundhog Activity in the Fall
Groundhog activity slows down in the fall, as groundhogs enter their burrows in late September/early October, and stay hibernating in a deep sleep all the way through Spring. However, if a groundhog is digging its burrow in your yard in the fall, then it’s a serious issue. Groundhog burrows can damage your home’s foundation and make the soil in your yard unstable, which can lead to injuries when people or pets don’t expect the ground to be soft and hollow.
Best Rodent Control Services in Richmond, Henrico and Hanover
If you are dealing with the effects of rodent season on your property in Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover, contact the rodent control and wildlife removal experts at Critter Authority. We offer comprehensive rodent control programs that attack mice and rat infestations at all stages of the life cycle, so you can rest assured that we are taking care of the problem. In addition, Critter Authority also offers squirrel trapping and removal services for squirrels that have gotten inside your attic space. We also offer seal-outs and exclusions for rodents, so neither mice, rats, or squirrels can get inside your home again. Contact our team of rodent control experts to get started today with a FREE estimate at (804) 492-2804!