At Schendel, we deal with a wide variety of animals that invade homes, businesses, and commercial facilities. But, there are five animals we deal with most, especially this time of year when temperatures are dropping. While all of these creatures can invade any time of the year, cold temperatures give them an even greater incentive. Here are the 5 most common overwintering pests and what is needed to exclude them.

Mice: A house mouse has dull grayish brown fur and a long, scaly tail which is about the same length as its body. These little creatures measure 6-10 cm and weigh in at 12-22 grams. They have beady black eyes, pointed noses, and roundish ears that stick straight up from their heads. Mice typically make their way into houses through gaps or cracks in foundations, walls, or even roof areas. They only need a hole the size of a dime to squeeze in.

Rats: A brown rat, which is also known by names such as a common rat, sewer rat, and wharf rat, can grow up to 25 cm in length with a similar tail length. Males weigh, on average, 350 grams (females 250 g). They have coarse brown or dark gray fur with lighter colored underparts. Rats can get into houses through gables, rooflines, ground-level crawl space, or even laundry vents. They can get in through damaged screens, fascias, soffits, gaps around pipes and wire conduit, and more.

Squirrels: One of the most common squirrels in Kansas is the gray squirrel. These animals, as you may imagine, are gray on top. However, their underside is brown or white. The body of a gray squirrel is about 25 cm in length with a similar tail length. These critters are known to get into attics by climbing nearby trees to reach the roof and finding a way in through gaps or cracks in the structure.

Raccoons: These masked bandits have black stripes around their tails and can weigh up to 20 pounds! They can find their way into homes through openings that are large enough for them to fit through; but if they find no openings, they have been known to open windows or doors for themselves with their human-like hands.

Skunks: These animals are black with 2 white stripes down their backs and one white stripe between their eyes. They can weigh up to 18 pounds and grow up to 3 feet in length. Though skunks don’t typically get into houses, they do get underneath porches and similar places to make their nests.

These common overwintering pests carry diseases and can harm your home, your pets, or your family. Allowing rodents or wildlife to dwell with you can cause damaged insulation, chewed wires, damage to structures, and exposure to the rabies virus. There is also a very real possibility that they will bring in parasites such as lice, mites, fleas, or ticks.

If you need assistance in safely and effectively removing pest animals this winter, or any other time for that matter, the wildlife control professionals here at Schendel Pest Services are standing by to help.