The recent cold snap in North Texas is both a blessing and curse when it comes to keeping critters at bay. The freezing temperatures can kill off part
of the insect population, while also driving rodents into homes.
Orkin lists DFW as 10th worst in the country when it comes to rodent issues. That’s up four spots from last year.
Rodents try to find a non-fluctuating temperature, which is exactly what they find in homes. The alternating cold-hot-cold-hot temperatures is what drives
them kind of crazy, and then they really seek shelter on the inside. No home in the country or the city is immune. They will find a way in. Mice and
rats are the easiest, because they will find an opening the size of your pinky, [or] a quarter. They can cause damage from merely cosmetic to possibly
costly and dangerous. Rats will chew through wood to enlarge an entry point. They will also chew through wires, in some cases creating sparks that
start a fire.
Close off any openings in your home where rodents can enter. Try to seal up any openings you find. Use metal mesh material, rodents don’t like it. Cover
the mesh with foam or caulking to seal the hole.
Cut back shrubbery and trees to make it more difficult for rodents to leap onto roofs and gutters.
If you already have rodents, I have had really good luck with Tom Cat Rat Traps baited with peanut butter (see link below). If you suspect you have rats
vs. mice then tie some string to the trap and anchor it to something else. I have had many traps walk off and disappear!
