What Is Rodent Season and How Long Does It Last?

What is rodent season, exactly? When is it, and how long does it last?

Being aware of when rodent season is about to start is important. It’ll get you mentally prepared and allow you to protect your home from these small and infinitely annoying pests.

What Do We Mean By Rodent Season?

Rodent season is the term we use to refer to the times when rodents are most likely to infest your home. It’s not a scientific term, since mice, rats, and squirrels tend to stay pretty active all year long.

The trouble comes when they decide that staying outside is no longer satisfactory, and they start to encroach on human spaces. Therefore, rodent season is the time period when you’re most likely to see increased animal activity.

What Time of Year Are Rodents Most Active?

In California, you can see rodents all time of year, but there’s one season when rodents are most likely to show up in your home. That season is fall.

During the spring and beginning of summer, rodents are perfectly happy to remain outdoors and feast on fruit trees and garbage. As it starts to get cooler, they begin to seek shelter indoors where they can hide away food.

There are other factors that can impact rodent season, like changes in precipitation from year to year. For example, heavier rainfall in the winter of 2019 contributed to an increase in vegetation and a higher rodent population the following spring and summer.

During summer, you may see an increase in rodent populations on very hot days. They may come into your house seeking water and shelter from the intense heat, but this will vary from year to year.

How Long Does Rodent Season Last?

Rodent season tends to last until November, sometimes even December. It can last for up to 5 months. Once the weather is truly cold in winter, rodent activity will ease off.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re safe! If an infestation is not dealt with when rodent season starts, roof rats, Norway rats, and squirrels may colonize your attic, while mice will try and find shelter in your walls. They’ll leave bacteria-carrying droppings around and destroy your insulation. You may still hear them at night or find their tell-tale signs in the form of chewed-up pantry items in your kitchen.

How to Prepare for Rodent Season

Your rodent proofing habits should start in spring - this aligns pretty well with spring cleaning, so make it part of your yearly home maintenance routine.

• Check the perimeter of your house both from the inside and outside for entry points, and then seal them.

• Don’t neglect the attic, either. On the outside, eliminate overhanging branches that rodents could climb. Inside, seal any holes or cracks.

• Keep your home neat and tidy, and make sure that food scraps, garbage, and pantry items are all stored in a way that rodents cannot access.

• Outside, hide away garbage and pet food and eliminate water sources like leaky hoses.

Does this process seem daunting or do you think your house is just too compromised? Do you already have an active rodent infestation? If so, you don’t have to try and deal with everything by yourself!

Our team at Green Rodent Restoration can help you eliminate pests and we can future-proof your home with our Rodent Prevention System, which has a 5-year guarantee. Get in touch with us to book your free consultation.