Think about what you do to keep warm. Are you bundled up, keeping your hands in your pockets and moving your feet? Are you rubbing your hands together? Or are you rushing from your car into your warm home as quickly as possible? Maybe, you just don’t want to leave your comfy bed. Rodents and other animals use similar strategies. Mice and rats begin to look for warm places to live before the first frost. Seeds, grass and other food become less available outside. Mice look for small openings the size of a dime to enter your home. Rats get in small openings the size of a quarter.
Ways Rodents and Other Animals Survive the Cold
Rather than hibernating for the entire winter when temperatures plunge, rodents, raccoons and squirrels slow down their heartbeat, lower their body temperature and breathe less. Occasionally, they’ll warm up to eat, drink and relieve themselves. It’s almost a “light” version of a bear’s winter hibernation.
Squirrels are also rodents. They often huddle together to say warm. Their thick fur coat and small ears help them to survive. They store acorns, seeds and nuts in their nests and in the ground. If they get into your home, they are looking to make a nest.
Raccoon have great fur coats which keep them warm. They beef up all spring and fall so that their body fat is sufficient to last the winter. Raccoon sometimes make your attic into a den where they raise babies and make a big mess!
Stay warm! Give us a call if you’ve discovered any wildlife in your home (631) 864-6900 | (516) 864-6900 | (631) 287-6900
You don’t want the health dangers that wildlife brings inside!
Fun fact: Alligators survive frozen ponds and lakes by keeping their noses above the ice!
