How Nearby Shelters Attract Rodents Into Your Home

Got rats near your house? It may seem like rats and mice appear out of nowhere, but in reality, they settle into hiding spots well before they make a move into your home. These mouse and rat hideouts near the home give them everything they need to thrive, and once they’re established, your house is the next target as they seek greater warmth, food and shelter. Understanding why these shelters attract rodents will help you stay one step ahead.

Why Rodents Choose Nearby Shelters

These rat and mouse hiding places near the house are the perfect base from which they can explore (and eventually get into) your home.

Safety and protection

Rodents are great at staying hidden. To do this, they choose sheltered areas like sheds, compost heaps, woodpiles and overgrown gardens, which protect them against everything from predators to harsh weather, as well as providing great sources of nesting materials.

Proximity to food and water

Like any living creature, what attracts mice and rats near a house is easy access to food and water. Bird feeders, pet food, your bins, leaking water pipes and dripping taps all act as invitations for them to stay close. The nearer their shelter is to these resources, the less effort they have to make. When food, water and waste are easily accessible outdoors, it’s only a matter of time until they decide to head indoors for even richer pickings.

Mouse and Rat Behaviour Near Homes

Rodent activity becomes even more problematic the more established their shelters become.

Exploration and staging areas

Mice and rats are natural explorers. They’re constantly scurrying around their surroundings looking for new sources of food, water and warmth, and use their hideouts as staging points before they enter homes through vents, pipes, gaps or damaged walls.

Nocturnal activity and thermal preferences

Most rodent activity happens at night, which can make signs of rats outside your house tricky to spot. Like all of us, during colder months, they’re more attracted to warmth than ever – and your heated home is far more appealing than their outdoor shelter.

Signs of Rodents Outside Your Home

Catching mice and rats near the house, before they come indoors, is the best way to prevent expensive infestations. There are sure signs of rats outside your house that you can look for…

Physical evidence

Active mouse and rat behaviour near homes leaves plenty of physical evidence. Look for:

• Small, dark droppings inside sheds or along fence lines
• Gnaw marks on wood, bins or stored items in sheds and garages
• Smooth runways through grass or soil where rodents travel back and forth.

Behavioural cues

There are other, more subtle, hints that rodents have made themselves comfortable near your home and could soon move inside:

• Scratching or scurrying noises at nighttime
• Displaced objects or disturbed compost
• Shredded materials like paper, fabric or leaves, which can all be used for nesting.

Prevention and Management

If you’ve been wondering, “Do rats live near houses?” – well, it’s a resounding “yes”. The good news is that by removing what attracts mice and rats to your home in the first place, you can make your property significantly less appealing.

Removing or securing rat hideouts near the home

Start by clearing away anything that may give rodents a cosy place to hide. This includes:

• Removing any piles of wood, cardboard or garden waste
• Storing logs away from the house
• Keeping sheds and garages secure
• Trimming back vegetation.

Additional preventive measures

Once you’ve removed their hiding places, there are other things you can do to reduce the chance of finding mice and rats near the house:

• Seal any gaps around doors, pipes, vents and foundations
• Keep bins tightly closed and food waste contained
• Bring pet food in at night and keep bird feeders out of reach
• Fix dripping taps and leaky pipes
• Keep outdoor areas clean.

Keep Rodents Away by Managing Outdoor Shelters

When rats and mice enter your home, it’s the last stage in a carefully planned process – they’ll no doubt have been camping out in outdoor shelters for a while first. As they get more confident and more comfortable, your home becomes more enticing, so it’s important to make your property as unappealing as possible.

If you’ve spotted signs of rodents on your property or want friendly, expert rat pest control, Pest Stop Boys are here to help. Give us a call, and we’ll help you reclaim your property from pests.