When the overnight temperature in Sheridan, CO, drops, you are not alone in looking for a warmer place. Mice are making the same call, and your home is the perfect winter escape for them. These miniature mammals can fit through holes the size of a dime, and before you know it, your warm abode has mutated into their survival cave. 

In Sheridan’s brutal winter climate, when nighttime temperatures near zero between November and March are a near-daily given, that makes a difficult situation even worse. One or two mice soon morph into a logistical nightmare, with droppings littering your pantry, wires nibbled in your walls, and health risks for your family. While DIY pest control can help, it often will not resolve the problem on its own, and that is where professional pest control comes into play to help you keep your home pest free in Sheridan. 

Why Mice Rush To Your Sheridan Home in Winters?

Average winter temperature in Sheridan reaches a frigid 18°F in January, and, unfortunately for mice, they need to survive. Three things these pests cannot find outside: your home provides in abundance warmth, food, and protected nesting sites. They truly hone in on heat signatures, which guide them to the foundation and walls of your home, as well as entry points around pipes, vents, and gaps in your siding. 

Once in, they gravitate towards kitchens, basements, and attics, where food crumbs and untouched storage spaces offer everything necessary for a colony to set up and multiply throughout the winter months.

What Makes It Difficult to Remove Them After Winters?

One female mouse can give birth to 5-10 litters every year, with each litter containing 5-6 pups. What began as a few winter guests has swelled into dozens of mice who now know every inch of your parcel by spring. They have learned the locations of food sources, developed entrance points, and developed instincts for survival that suit their home. Regular traps only catch part of the population, leaving the rest to hide and continue undetected.

5 Things You Can Do To Avoid Them in Your Home This Winter

• Seal Entry Points Around Your Foundation

Before the first freeze, take a walkabout of your Sheridan home and check the foundation area. End larger than ¼ inch, make use of steel wool and caulk to keep mice out, as mice can not chew through the steel wool, which Faulkner referred to as the primary level of protection.

• Store Food in Airtight Containers

Mice can sniff through cardboard and plastic bags to get their food. Store cereals, grains, and pet food in glass or heavy-duty plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. This simple turn changes the number one reason they sit inside.

• Eliminate Outdoor Attractions

Store firewood 20 feet from your house and prune vegetation from your foundation. Sheridan County records show that yards with well-maintained landscaping have 40% fewer rodent problems than yards with overgrown landscaping.

• Install Door Sweeps and Weather Stripping

Gaps in the garage door and exterior doors are sometimes wide enough for mice to enter. Door sweeps keep nighttime home invaders out and only cost you under $20 per door to install.

• Reduce Clutter in Storage Areas

Although boxes found in basements, attics, and garages can make perfect nesting materials, use plastic bins (instead of cardboard) to stack items for storage areas, and keep space between the wall and stored items for easier inspections.

Why Should You Go For Professionals?

While DIY methods can help prevent infestations, established infestations require expert help. Saela Pest Control understands the pest problems cities like Sheridan specifically face, such as how mice behave differently at our 5,400-foot elevation compared to lower elevations. And they employ IPM (integrated pest management) strategies that not only address active infestations but also minimize the likelihood of future problems, something a store-bought trap cannot do.