8 Steps to a Rodent-Free Winter

Winter window in New Berlin and Oshkosh WI - Batzner Pest Control provides rodent control checklist to prevent infestations.

Pest problems are a fact of life throughout the year, even in the winter! While a lot of animals hibernate during Wisconsin winters, many pests remain active throughout the cold months. In fact, rodent infestations are at some of their highest numbers this time of year. This is because rats and mice will squeeze their way into your home to escape the freezing temperatures outside. The best way to prevent a rodent infestation is to safeguard your home, limiting their chances of getting indoors! Read on to learn Batzner’s top tips for rodent-proofing your home this winter.

Does Cold Weather Kill Mice and Rats?

Many people assume that during the winter, pest problems go away. What about rats and mice? These rodents are active throughout the colder months of the year and are more compelled than ever to invade homes to escape the harsh weather outside. Once inside, they will nest and spread. In addition to their destructive gnawing and tunneling, rat droppings are capable of spreading disease. Because rodent infestations are so common in the winter, it’s essential to protect your home from them with regular rodent control.

Rodent Control in the Winter

Rodent Control Checklist for your Oshkosh or New Berlin WI home this winter - Batzner Pest ControlMice are infamous for squeezing through tiny spaces—even holes the size of a dime. For this reason, it’s crucial to thoroughly inspect your home for openings that may welcome rodents indoors in the winter.

There are eight spots in particular around your property that are vulnerable to rodent intrusions. By routinely checking these areas and making repairs as necessary, you can effectively lessen the risk of rodents getting indoors.

 

These eight locations include:

  • Roof
  • Vents
  • Screens
  • Vegetation
  • Gutters
  • Outside
  • Garage
  • Foundation

Wisconsin Winter Rodent Control

If you discover areas of your home needing repair, or more specifically, areas showing definite rodent activity, the experts at Batzner Pest Control are here to help. We specialize in preventing pest problems before they begin, which is why we can help rodent-proof your home for the winter. To learn more about protecting your home from rats and mice, give our team a call today!

Rodent Awareness Week Brings Focus to Rodent Prevention

Rodent Awareness Week at Batzner Pest Control - Rodent control services by Batzner Pest Control serving Southeastern Wisconsin

Rodent infestations become a major problem in Wisconsin in fall and winter.

What makes rodent infestations so dangerous?

Rodents pose a number of health risks to you and your family. The spread of food-borne illnesses like Salmonella is probably the most alarming, as rodents contaminate surfaces throughout the house and will look to get into your kitchen cabinets and food prep areas. Their skin, saliva, and urine can also aggravate allergy symptoms.

In addition to spreading disease, bacteria, and allergens, rodents can cause electrical fires by gnawing through your home’s wiring. All of the problems associated with rodent infestations are amplified by how quickly they reproduce. A few mice in your attic can turn into a full-blown infestation in a very short period of time – each female mouse can give birth to between six and eight offspring every three weeks!

What should homeowners look out for?

Because of the potential dangers and the speed at which they can occur, homeowners need to be extremely vigilant when preparing their homes for the fall and winter. Here are some tips from the NPMA on how to rodent-proof your home this year:

  • Use weather strips on doorways and windows
  • Replace broken windows
  • Caulk around utility/service pipes
  • Repair openings in the building’s foundation
  • Screen all vents
  • Seal additional small cracks with copper mesh (steel wool will rust and deteriorate over time).
  • Around the house exterior, rake away any weeds or shrubbery as they provide safe passage to pests
  • Mulch, in particular, should not be used near the foundation, and any overhanging tree branches need to be cut down
  • Do not store firewood within the immediate vicinity of the house

Once these preventative measures have been taken, the NPMA advises being on the lookout for these indicators of rodent infestation:

  • Droppings: Droppings are typically found in kitchen cabinets and pantries, along walls, on top of wall studs or beams, and in boxes, bags and old furniture.
  • Noises: Rodents often make scurrying sounds, especially at night, as they move about and nest.
  • Gnaw marks: New gnaw marks tend to be rough to touch and are light colored.
  • Burrows: Inside, rodents often nest in various materials such as insulation, and are drawn to dark and secluded areas.
  • Damaged food packages: House mice prefer to feed on cereals and seeds, while Norway rats prefer meat, fish and dry dog food.

If any of these signs of rodents are found, contact us immediately! Remember, a small issue will become a major problem in a short amount of time. You can reach us at (262)797-4160 or on our website.

Thank Your Dog or Cat for Noticing Pests in Walls

Some pets are natural pest control professionals you can have in your home 24/7. Their keen sense of hearing and smell can alert you to pest activity that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Cats and dogs are among the pets that get the most credit for noticing and alerting you when something isn’t quite right. Whether that means staring at walls or sniffing under couches, cats and dogs are likely to notice a pest in your home before you do.

Cats

Cats are probably the best pets for pest control because they take care of insects and rodents without any training. They are naturally inclined to watch for creatures you may not want in your home, and they have all the tools needed to eliminate the problem. Because cats notice even the slightest of movement, they are very proficient at chasing house spiders, centipedes, moths and other creepy crawlies. The chasing and eating of bugs is both fun and instinctual, as bugs are quickly moving small things and cat’s brains are programmed to chase. The innate desire to hunt and practice predatory behavior through play is still active in domestic cats. If there’s a mouse in your house, a cat will be sure to find it, and they will spend hours patiently watching and waiting until a rodent emerges. While there are perks of having 24/7 pest control in your home, beware of the diseases rodents can carry that could spread to your cats. Cats can unfortunately get fleas, ticks and other parasites from catching and eating mice.

Dogs

With their keen sense of smell and excellent hearing abilities, dogs make excellent pets for pest problems. They alert you to the presence of a pest you may not notice. Dogs are less likely to kill insects and rodents than cats are, but they will at least tell you when a problem comes up.

About two years ago, my dog, Tripp, would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and stare off into the darkness. Comforting, I know. It took me a while to catch on, but then I heard it too – a scratching, scrapping sound coming from inside the wall which could only mean one thing…MICE.

The thing about mice is they can make a lot of noise considering their small size. Around the same time each night, I could hear them running their nightly errands. I started losing too much sleep, so I called a pest control company to help take care of the issue. They inspected the outside of my home and found that the point of entry was where the siding met the brick on the side of my house. They sealed up the small gap where the mice were sneaking through. As Training and Development Manager, Steve Counsell, always says “Batzner’s goal is to always figure out the method of entry and seal those openings. As long as there is an ‘open door’, they will keep coming in.” By quickly identifying and solving the issue, my mice problem finally went away.

If it wasn’t for the excellent hearing skills of my pup, it would have taken me a lot longer to catch on to what was going inside my walls. If your dog or cat is waking up in the middle of the night or staring at walls, he might be trying to alert you of some pests. Take a minute and listen to see if he has noticed something you haven’t. If you find out there is something unwelcome making a home inside your walls, take my advice and call Batzner at 866-591-3519 or contact us online today.

How to Spot Pest Issues When Buying a New Home

When it comes to major purchases, there’s nothing more exciting than buying a new home. The new home search is filled with plenty of decisions and “watch outs.” When touring potential homes, many home-buyers focus on cosmetic changes they want to make in their new home. However, most new home buyers rarely think about pests. Pests, such as cockroaches, mice, rats, and stinging pests, carry health risks. Other pests, such as carpenter ants, rodents, and wildlife, can cause severe and costly damage to homes. Pest problems can be lurking beneath the surface, and knowing what to look for could help you avoid expensive repairs and treatments after you’ve signed on the dotted line.

As you visit the house, make sure to inspect the interior and exterior yourself for signs of pest invasion or damage. See if the previous owner has taken common pest problem prevention steps, such as installing screens on windows and doors or keeping shrubs and tree limbs from extending to the side of the house and roof. Look for cracks in sealed areas such as floorboards and molding, holes in the back corners of storage spaces and webs in the garage and basement. While many of these issues are easily fixed, you should be aware of the level of preventative care the previous homeowner took.

According to the National Pest Management Association, at any given time, approximately 29% of American homes are experiencing a pest infestation. While the occasional insect guest can happen in any home, you may want to have more serious pest concerns resolved before you buy; some may be serious enough for you to consider not making a purchase.

Recently, a customer called Batzner because they heard a noise coming from the attic of their newly purchased home. When our Operations Manager went up into the attic to take a look, he found BIRD NESTS! It turned out that the home inspector never went up into the attic, so the nests weren’t discovered until after the new owners moved in. If you are buying a home, use a qualified home inspector or strongly consider getting a pest inspection in addition to the required inspections.

It can be difficult to spot pest issues – some pests are too small to see or live in areas that may be difficult to access. That’s why it’s important to know signs that may indicate a more serious problem.

How to spot signs of potential pest issues:

Mice, Rats and Wildlife

  • Look for mouse and rat droppings
  • Listen for scratching noises coming from under the floor, behind walls or in ceilings
  • Check for signs of rodent nests in cabinets, pantries, and behind appliances
  • Chewed or gnawed wiring may also indicate a problem with rodents or wildlife

Insects (common pests include cockroaches and ants)

  • Live or dead insects could indicate a problem
  • When outside, look for openings or gaps that insects could use access to gain entry to the home – anything larger than ¼-inch is a cause for concern
  • Ant mounds are another issue to watch for in yards
  • Bee, wasp, and hornet nests attached to the home or in the yard; look up in high trees, under overhangs on the structure, etc.

Carpenter Ants

  • Carpenter ants will look for softened wood to infest; if you notice signs of wet or moisture damaged wood, it may be a good idea to have a pest inspection done before buying
  • These pests can hollow out wood, similar to mosquitoes, which can be costly to repair
  • Carpenter ants are larger than most ants – about ¼-inch to ½-inch in size – and black in color
  • In areas where carpenter ants are active, you may notice piles of what looks like sawdust near their entry holes

Bed bugs typically aren’t an issue for new homes, but if you are purchasing a town-home or condominium unit that shares walls with neighbors, be aware that your risk of bed bug issues could increase.

If you can’t decide whether or not to purchase your dream home, call a pest professional. The local pest control experts at Batzner are here to identify any potential pest issues. Getting a professional evaluation will give you a better idea of what can be done to eliminate existing pest issues and keep your new home pest-free for a long time to come.

Batzner can do an inspection of your potential home before you buy to avoid any horrifying surprises. This could save you thousands of dollars in home damage that may go unnoticed by other inspectors. The last thing you want is to inherit someone else’s pest problems.

5 Reasons Your Home Needs Pest Inspections Each Year

Home maintenance isn’t just about checking for repairs and keeping your home clean and organized; it should involve regular pest inspections too. At a minimum, you should have your home inspected for pest infestations or threats every 12 months. And here’s why:

  1. Proactive Prevention – Properly taking care of your home and family often times means being proactive in home maintenance. Operations Manager, Dave Markee, explains “Because we live in a cold weather climate for part of the year, the foundation and building products of our homes expand, shift, and crack during colder weather. This creates openings for pests, especially rodents.” It is important to catch any pest activity before it gets out of hand and major damage is caused to your home.
  1. Financial Security – By using our pestfree365 program, you can feel secure that an infestation isn’t going to set you back financially. With BAN, a Service Specialist comes to your home once a quarter to perform services and keep your home pest-free. Some commonly unnoticed pests are carpenter ants, which can cause damage to window frames and foam board in siding without you noticing. Regular pest inspections can prevent your budget from taking a hit by catching pests like carpenter ants early.
  1. Value Preservation – If you are thinking of selling your home, you may want to consider having a pest inspection done before you put it on the market. If any pest problems are found, you can have them solved before you put your home up for sale. This will help preserve the value of your home with early detection and treatment. On the flip side, it is fairly common for people to call us and have an inspection done before they decide to buy a house. Better to be safe than sorry!
  1. Health Concerns – Health issues associated with household pests are wide-spread and range from chronic allergies to asthma. Cockroach allergens are common culprits for asthma in children. Making sure your home is free of pests can reduce or eliminate health issues you or your family may have.
  1. Peace of Mind – Pests are very small creatures, but they can cause headaches and impact your quality of life. At the end of the day, we all want to know that our family is safe in our own home and are protected from the effects of pests. Your home is one of your most valuable possessions and it should be protected from anything that could cause damage to it.

Tips for Keeping Pests out of Firewood

On a cold winter night, nothing beats curling up by the fireplace for a relaxing few hours of catching up on your favorite TV shows. For most of us, being able to do this requires maintaining a well-stocked pile of firewood. Unfortunately, firewood is the perfect Trojan horse for pests to invade your home!

Don’t let staying warm this winter open your gates to pests; use these tips to enjoy your fireplace without unwelcome guests.

DOs:

  1. Keep your firewood at least 20 feet from your home. Mice, ants, and many other insects can make their nests in wood piles and easily gain access to your home if the pile is nearby.
  2. Keep your firewood off the ground. Firewood placed on the ground is easier for pests to access, and often makes the bottom layer less likely to be used. Concrete blocks, bricks, or firewood grates can be used to keep the wood from directly contacting the ground. This also helps with the next tip.
  3. Keep your firewood dry. In addition to burning more easily, dry wood is less attractive to most pests. Maintaining airflow beneath the pile helps reduce moisture problems which attract insects, and placing a tarp over your wood pile is a cheap way to prevent rain or snow from adding moisture.
  4. Practice “First In/First Out” Rule. Use the oldest wood first, restacking the pile periodically if it makes it easier to access the older logs. This will help to keep pests at a minimum as you are not allowing infestations to build up. And it will help keep anyone from carrying infested firewood into your home.
  5. Inspect your firewood before bringing it inside. A quick look over each log for obvious signs of pest infestation can save you a lot of trouble later on. Before bringing wood into the house to use in a fire, inspect every log: look them over, shake them, knock them together. Get rid of the pests that are on the surface or beginning to emerge.
  6. Burn firewood immediately when brought indoors. Few insects are active outdoors during the cold winter months; rather they will overwinter in sheltered spots – such as within or between firewood piles. If the wood is brought indoors and not burned immediately, the insects can crawl out from the wood into the warmth of your home.

DON’Ts:

  1. Spray your firewood with pesticides. This won’t kill pests that have burrowed into the wood and can release harmful chemicals inside your home when the wood is burned.
  2. Buy your firewood non-locally. Buying firewood locally can reduce the chance of introducing invasive species to new areas.
  3. Never store firewood indoors. Firewood should not be stored indoors in any area – in the home, basement, or garage. Insects can emerge to take up residence within the structure, and the firewood pile can also provide attractive harborage for rodents or other wildlife or insect pests.

If you experience problems with pests, whether they have been brought in on firewood or otherwise, don’t hesitate to call us at (262) 797-4170 or contact us online!

Example of proper firewood storage:

As you can see, the firewood is away from the house, off the ground, and covered by a tarp to keep it dry. With an inspection before the wood is brought into the house, this will make it very difficult for pests to sneak in.

 

Example of poor firewood storage:

Here the wood is placed directly against the house, exposed to the elements, and directly on the ground. You can imagine how easy it would be for insects or mice to get inside, especially with that door open!

Signs of Pest Infestations

Inspecting homes for pest infestations before buying - Expert extermination, pest control and removal service by Batzner Pest Control, serving Southeast Wisconsin

House hunting is an exciting yet nerve-wracking endeavor. Among the numerous concerns like a leaky roof or faulty electricals, pest infestations might take time to come to mind. Yet, overlooking the signs of an infestation can lead to significant issues. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help identify potential pest problems when considering a new home.

What’s the Difference Between a Pest Infestation and a Couple of Bugs?

While spotting the occasional bug or pest is common, a full-blown infestation involves a larger, persistent presence of unwanted critters. It’s about the frequency, the extent of invasion, and the potential damage or health risks they pose. Here are the top ten signs that you’re dealing with an infestation:

  1. Unusual Indoor Activity: Keep an eye out for erratic movements of insects, especially around food sources or warm, moist areas.
  2. Traces of Excrement: Insect or rodent droppings, especially near entry points or common hiding spots like cabinets, often signal an infestation.
  3. Rodent Nests: Discovering nests made of shredded materials or finding gnaw marks on household items indicates a rodent problem.
  4. Foul Odors: A musty or foul smell, particularly in hidden areas, could indicate that pests like bed bugs or rodents are nearby.
  5. Property Damage: Many pest species cause damage to structures or personal belongings. Chewed wires, torn fabrics, or damaged furniture might suggest rodents’ activity.
  6. Unexplained Noises: While you may not notice the sounds of pests while inspecting a home, it’s worth listening for. Scratching or scurrying in walls or ceilings often indicates pests.
  7. Grease Marks and Rub Marks: Rodents and other pest species tend to leave grease or rub marks along their regular pathways.
  8. Visible Pests: Spotting mice, rats, bed bugs, or other pests during daylight hours could signify a significant infestation. 
  9. Nesting Materials: Discovering shredded paper, fabric, or insulation in unusual places could mean that the property has a large population of rodents or other pests nearby.
  10. Gnaw Marks: Many pest species, including rats and mice, chew on items while nesting or burrowing. Look for chew marks on furniture, wires, or stored items.

Signs of an Outdoor Infestation

It’s normal to come across bugs in your yard or garden. But, there are some circumstances where outdoor pest activity is abnormal and could pose a greater risk to your home. Here’s what to look for when inspecting your landscape:

  • Nearby Breeding Grounds: Assess neighboring areas for unkept spaces or stagnant water sources, and potential breeding grounds for pests like mosquitoes or rodents.
  • Damaged Plants and Lawn Patches: Inspect plants for signs of insect trails or gnawing. Uneven grass lengths or circular brown patches can hint at lawn pest infestations or mole activity.
  • Mole Holes and Ant Hills: Mole activity might present as raised ridges across the lawn accompanied by dirt piles resembling mini volcanoes. Look for ant hills along fence lines or in pavement cracks.

What to Do If Your Home Has Pests

When inspecting your property for these signs, focus not only on the obvious but also on less frequented areas like ceiling corners, under furniture, and within cupboards or pantries. Professional pest control technicians at Batzner Pest Control can thoroughly inspect and treat your home to prevent or address any pest problems.

The Rapid Reproduction Rate of Mice

If you’ve ever found one mouse in your house, you can “bet your bottom dollar” that there are more. If you’ve ever dealt with (or are currently dealing with) mice in your house, you might know this saying to be all too true. It seems no matter how hard you try, there are always more mice than you can keep up with. How is this possible? Are they magical little creatures?

How Fast Do Mice Reproduce?

The truth is they have amazing reproductive capabilities. You know the saying “multiply like rabbits?” Well, I think it should be rewritten to “multiply like mice”. These little guys reach sexual maturity at 4-6 weeks of age. With a short gestation period of just about three weeks, one mouse can give birth to 5-6 babies. A typical female mouse can birth between five and 10 litters per year. She can mate immediately after giving birth, meaning mice can birth a second litter in as little as 25 days after the first. This quick maturation process gives mice immense breeding capabilities. Living indoors enhances these capabilities, since they can then breed all year long. Outdoors, breeding only occurs during spring, summer and fall. The winter months are too harsh for successful breeding. This cycle continues until the mouse dies. By that time, her offspring’s offspring have likely also birthed a few litters, which are starting to breed. Look at the multiplication rate above and you’ll quickly realize you might be hosting quite a few more guests than you bargained for by the end of the year.

How Long Do Mice Live?

If you think you can avoid dealing with that mouse in your home by simply waiting for it to die, think again. The life cycle of a mouse makes it easy to see why these rodents are such common pests. While the average mouse lifespan is only about 12 months outdoors, indoors, this number can climb to 2 to 3 years. This is because indoors, mice aren’t exposed to harsh environments or natural predators. Predators like owls, hawks, cats along with harsh winter and summer conditions can help maintain a rodent population in check. Indoors, however, that is a different story. That leaves them with nothing to do but eat through your valuables, spread disease and breed future generations. At that point, you no longer have a mouse problem – you have a mouse infestation.

Knowing how effectively these pests reproduce should make you realize that it can be devastating to ignore one little house mouse, because that mouse could multiply and in no time at all, you could have a infestation on your hands.

How Do You Stop Mice From Multiplying?

So, now the real question is HOW CAN I STOP THE MAYHEM? Once mice are in, the most efficient way to get rid of them is to hire a pest control company. Exclusion and bait stations are the main two ways Batzner reduces and manages mice populations. Training and Development Manager, Steve Counsell, explains that “the idea is always to figure out the method of entry. It’s is much easier to control a known finite population than an unknown infinite population.” Using our experience to solve mouse problems is what we do every day. Call us at 866-591-3519 or contact us online to get a free estimate and move the mice out of your house for good.

Top 10 Signs of Mice Infestations in Homes

Along with pumpkin spice and chilly temperatures, fall is high season for mice to seek shelter in your home or business. They might seem somewhat harmless or an issue that you can take care of yourself with traps or other products, however, a mice infestation is a serious problem that should not to be taken lightly. Mice carry a wide variety of diseases and their continuous gnawing can cause damage to your electrical wiring, possibly sparking a fire. Additionally, if mice are not effectively driven out of your home or business, they can multiply very quickly.

While there are many DIY solutions available for mice infestations, the wrong product can be a waste of money, or even worse, it could drive them further into the walls where they will wait to re-enter your house weeks or months later.

So, how do you know if you have a mice infestation in your house? Here are the top ten signs of mice infestation:

  1. Look for nests of fine, shredded materials which are frequently found in garages, closets, attics and basements.
  2. Notice any gnawing on doors, ledges, baseboards or various materials you may have stored in your garage or basement.
  3. Seeing a mouse in person is obviously a very good indication of a mouse infestation. Night is the most active time for mice.
  4. Note if you hear sounds such as gnawing, climbing in the walls, running across the upper surface of ceilings and even little squeaks are common.
  5. When house mice are present, you might notice an ammonia-like odor, which is much more noticeable in smaller areas such as cupboards.
  6. You might notice droppings along hallways, in feeding areas and near shelters. They are about the size of a grain of rice, and are dark brown to black in color.
  7. Both wet and dry urine may also be present, and will glow under ultraviolet light, but keep in mind, many other materials do as well.
  8. Tiny mouse tracks can be noticeable on dusty or muddy surfaces.
  9. Look for dirty smudges along the baseboards. Mice don’t have very good eyesight, therefore, they stick to the same routes and guide themselves along the baseboards.
  10. Burrow holes are typically one inch in diameter, but mice can easily fit through holes as small as a dime. Look for these in baseboards, corners, walls, entryways and foundations.

If you suspect a problem with mice, it’s best to contact an experienced pest control provider right away. Batzner can determine the full scope of the problem and plan the best course of action to rid your home or business of these pesky, and oftentimes dangerous, intruders.