Winter Brings Unwelcome Guests To Your Connecticut Home

Clean up around your yard and seal up those windows Connecticut, the real cold air has arrived, and our mice and rat population likes the look of your place.

This is the time of year in Connecticut where we experience wild temperature swings of 30-40 degrees, and as much of a shock as it is for us humans, our wildlife suffers too. You may have noticed that lots of little critters are seeking shelter inside your door frame, shed, or walls this week, and one of the most troublesome shelter-seekers is mice and rats.

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Connecticut is home to house mice, Norway rats, Eastern meadow vole, brown rats, and the little guy you see in the photo above is a deer mouse. According to ct.gov, the Norway rat and the house mouse are the most common in Connecticut, and they can spread disease, contaminate food and living areas, and can cause significant damage to structures by gnawing and clawing their way into our homes.

The Norway Rat is particularly bad for homeowners, they thrive in urban areas, can enter your building through a 1/2 inch crack, and produce litters of 8-12 babies 7 times a year. The house mouse is prolific at breeding also, producing 8 litters a year with 5-6 babies in each.

What Should You Do to Protect Your Home From Rats and Mice?

Close your windows, especially in the basement, seal cracks in your foundation, get rid of the garbage outside of your home, use rodent-proof trash containers, and if they still make it in? Traps and baits. Good luck out there.