Just when you start to enjoy the cooler weather that winter brings, you may also find some unwanted guests in your home. Rats, mice and squirrels tend to find their way into your home during the winter months because they’re looking for an escape from the cold.

As they make their way in, they can wreak havoc on your AC ducts, insulation and electrical wires, leaving you left with costly repairs.

If you suspect you have rodents living in your home, here are some ways to get rid of them and keep them out.

One of the most common places to find rodents is in your attic. Most of the time, the attic is where much of your ductwork, furnace and insulation are found, so once they’re there, the damage can add up very quickly.

How do they get there? There are actually quite a few holes and pipes that they can squeeze into on the outside of your home – gutters, gaps in siding, air vents, chimney, and AC pipes. They can also chew their way through just about anything.

In order to lessen the opportunity for rodents to crawl in, it’s a good idea to seal up any gaps or holes that are more than ¼ inch wide. Once you do that, make sure to keep an eye out for obvious rodent activity (chew marks, tracks and feces) around the outside of your home as well as in your attic and garage.

If you’re dealing with household rodents, you’ll want to act fast because rodents can breed very quickly and before long you’ll have an army to contend with. There are several different traps that have proven to be effective, but sometimes rodents can outsmart these various mechanisms and force you to call a professional.

If a rodent gets into your air duct and dies, you’ll probably notice pretty quickly because of the overwhelming smell of dead animals. The hardest part about this scenario is figuring out where the carcass is located. Sometimes it can be nearly impossible to find and require a professional HVAC technician to search your ducts and vents.

Once it’s located, you have to dispose of it properly and keep yourself protected from any germs or diseases that rodents tend to carry. It’s also important to properly disinfect the area where the dead rodent was found.

If you suspect you have a rodent problem or need HVAC maintenance performed on your unit, contact us today.