As fall in Wisconsin sets in and the temperature starts to cool down, pest movement picks up and wildlife removal companies are busy. Marcus Mueller, owner of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, notes that while activity spikes this time of year, homeowners don’t have to live with uninvited guests.
It is easy to assume these critters are just now moving in to escape the cold. However, that is largely a misconception.
“If you’re seeing bat, rodent and squirrel activity in the fall, they’ve probably been there all along,” explains Mueller. “Fall is our busiest time of year, not because pests are just moving in, but because their activity reaches a seasonal peak.”
Why is pest movement more noticeable in Fall?
The sudden uptick in activity is typically driven by two factors, winter preparation and growing offspring.
- Mice and bats can reside in homes year-round. However, as the weather begins to change, their instincts trigger a gathering phase. They work to bring resources inside to build food reserves. Commonly, they build these reserves in wall cavities and basement corners. The shuffling you hear in your ceiling at night is mice stocking their winter pantry.
- Attic spaces are a great place for bats to raise their young throughout the spring and summer. By late summer and early fall, pups (baby bats) take their first flight. Much like toddlers learning to walk, young bats are clumsy and make navigation errors. It’s during these first flights that people commonly see bats in their living space.
How vulnerable is your home to pests?
Despite build age, almost every house has vulnerable entry points for critters.
- Mice and bats need gaps as small as 1/4 inch (about the size of a dime) to squeeze inside.
- Unsealed roof vents, loose soffits, siding gaps, and roof peaks 40 feet up are prime entry spots.
- Droppings accumulate in attics and walls over time. As they break down, airborne spores can cause severe respiratory illnesses.
- While rabies prevalence in bats is low overall, the severity of the disease requires taking any indoor bat encounter seriously.
It’s recommended to invite experts to evaluate your home and assess the home top to bottom, because that’s what they’re trained to do. They can identify entry points and the vulnerable spots. Their background allows them to identify the type of construction, siding, or roof where bats can get in.
Quick rodent fixes fall short
After spotting a pest, the default reaction is often setting traps, placing poison or mounting a bat box outside. However, those approaches rarely solve the underlying problem.
- While bat boxes offer alternative shelter, they cannot compete with a temperature-controlled house. A bat is still likely to choose the house.
- Lethal methods only address current numbers, not the entry points. Surviving or new animals will follow pheromone trails back inside. Furthermore, poisons often cause animals to die inside walls, creating severe odor and sanitation issues.
The solution to getting rid of pests
The safest, and most permanent, solution relies on understanding animal biology through a professional exclusion process:
- A top-to-bottom inspection identifies every 1/4-inch entry point along rooflines, soffits and foundations.
- Specialized one-way doors are installed over active entry points. Animals can safely exit to forage or feed, but are physically blocked from returning.
- Heavy-duty screening and sealant are applied to all existing and secondary vulnerable spots across the exterior to prevent future reentry.
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