Winter in Nevada brings more than just colder temperatures and shorter days.
As the weather shifts, rodents like mice and rats start looking for warm places to stay, and unfortunately, your home might be their top choice.
Pest control experts across the state are noticing a big increase in rodent activity this season, which means it’s time for residents to take action and protect their homes and families.
Cold Weather Drives Rodents Indoors
When temperatures drop below 50 degrees, rodents become desperate to find shelter.
Nevada winters might seem mild compared to other states, but even a slight chill sends mice and rats searching for warmth.
Your home offers everything they need: heat, food, and protection from predators.
Rodents have an amazing ability to squeeze through incredibly tiny spaces.
A mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime, while rats only need an opening as big as a quarter.
They’ll use any crack, gap, or opening they can find around your foundation, doors, or windows.
Once inside, these unwanted guests can multiply quickly.
A single female mouse can have up to 10 litters per year, with each litter containing 5–6 babies.
That means a small problem can turn into a major infestation in just a few months if you don’t act fast.
Health Risks Associated With Rodent Infestations
Rodents aren’t just annoying houseguests—they’re actually dangerous to your health.
These creatures carry over 35 different diseases that can spread to humans through their droppings, urine, saliva, and even the fleas and ticks they bring along.
Hantavirus is one of the most serious illnesses you can catch from rodents in Nevada.
Contamination happens faster than you might think.
Rodents leave droppings everywhere they go, and they urinate constantly to mark their territory.
If they get into your pantry, any food they touch becomes unsafe to eat, even if it looks perfectly fine from the outside.
Children and elderly family members face the highest risk from rodent-related illnesses.
Their immune systems aren’t as strong, making them more vulnerable to infections.
Asthma and allergies can also get worse when rodent allergens are present in your home’s air.
Common Entry Points Around Your Home
Rodents are sneaky explorers who know exactly where to look for ways inside.
Gaps around utility pipes and cables are like open invitations—they follow these lines right into your walls.
Check where your water pipes, electrical wires, gas lines, and cable TV connections enter your Nevada home.
Garage doors rarely seal perfectly against the ground, creating a highway for mice and rats.
Even a small gap at the bottom is enough for them to slip through.
Weatherstripping wears out over time, making the problem worse each year.
Vents and chimneys without proper screens are another favorite route.
Dryer vents, attic vents, and crawl space openings all need protective covers with small mesh that rodents can’t chew through.
Don’t forget to inspect your roof—damaged shingles or gaps near the roofline give rodents access to your attic, where they can live undisturbed for months.
Signs Of Rodent Activity To Watch For
Spotting an actual rodent is rare because they’re mostly active at night when you’re sleeping.
Instead, you need to look for the clues they leave behind.
Droppings are the most obvious sign—mouse droppings look like small dark grains of rice, while rat droppings are larger and more capsule-shaped.
Strange scratching or scurrying sounds in your walls or ceiling usually happen at night.
You might hear these noises when the house is quiet and you’re trying to fall asleep.
Rodents are surprisingly loud for such small creatures, especially when they’re running through your walls or attic.
Gnaw marks appear on everything from cardboard boxes to wooden furniture and even plastic containers.
Rodents’ teeth never stop growing, so they constantly chew to keep them trimmed down.
You might also notice greasy smudge marks along walls where their dirty fur rubs repeatedly as they travel the same paths night after night.
Proper Food Storage Prevents Attraction
Leaving food in its original packaging is basically setting up a buffet for rodents.
Cardboard boxes, paper bags, and thin plastic packaging are no match for their sharp teeth.
Transfer all your dry goods—cereal, pasta, rice, flour, and snacks—into thick plastic or glass containers with tight-fitting lids.
Pet food is often overlooked but it’s a huge attraction for rodents.
Don’t leave your dog or cat’s food bowl out overnight, and store the main bag in a sealed container instead of leaving it open in the garage or pantry.
Bird seed and wild animal feed should also be kept in rodent-proof containers.
Crumbs and spills might seem too small to matter, but rodents don’t need much food to survive.
Wipe down your counters every night, sweep your floors regularly, and clean up any spills immediately.
Even tiny food particles can sustain a mouse for days.
Outdoor Prevention Strategies That Work
Your yard’s condition directly impacts whether rodents will target your home.
Overgrown bushes and shrubs touching your house create hidden highways that rodents use to reach your walls.
Keep all vegetation trimmed back at least two feet from your foundation to eliminate these protected pathways.
Woodpiles stacked against your house are perfect nesting spots for rodents.
They provide shelter, warmth, and easy access to your home’s exterior.
Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your house and keep it elevated off the ground on a rack.
Clutter in your yard gives rodents places to hide and build nests.
Old furniture, unused equipment, piles of leaves, and stacks of newspapers all create rodent-friendly environments.
Regular yard cleanup removes these hiding spots and makes your property less appealing to unwanted visitors looking for winter shelter.
Professional Inspection Benefits
Sometimes you need an expert’s trained eye to spot problems you’d never notice on your own.
Professional pest inspectors know exactly where rodents like to hide and which signs indicate an active infestation versus old evidence.
They can identify entry points you didn’t even know existed.
A thorough inspection covers areas most homeowners never check—crawl spaces, attic corners, behind appliances, and inside wall voids.
Professionals use special tools like thermal imaging cameras and moisture meters to detect rodent activity hidden from plain sight.
They can tell you exactly how serious your situation is.
Getting an inspection now, before you see obvious signs of rodents, is way smarter than waiting until you have a full-blown infestation.
Prevention costs much less than treatment.
Most pest control companies in Nevada offer free or low-cost inspections, especially during peak rodent season when they want to help homeowners stay ahead of problems.
Effective Trapping Methods For Homeowners
Snap traps remain the most effective and affordable option for catching mice and rats.
Modern versions are much easier to set than the old-fashioned wooden ones your grandparents used.
Place them perpendicular to walls with the trigger end facing the baseboard, since rodents naturally run along edges rather than across open floors.
Bait selection matters more than you might think.
Forget the cheese—that’s actually not very effective.
Peanut butter works much better because rodents love the smell and they have to work to lick it off, which triggers the trap.
Small pieces of bacon, chocolate, or dried fruit also work well.
Live catch traps are good if you’re squeamish about destroying rodents, but you need to check them frequently.
A trapped rodent can get harmed from stress or dehydration within hours.
Release captured rodents at least two miles from your home, or they’ll just come right back the same day.
When To Call Pest Control Professionals
If you’re finding more than five droppings per day or seeing rodents during daylight hours, your problem is already serious.
Rodents are naturally nocturnal and avoid humans, so daytime sightings mean the population is large enough that they’re competing for space and food.
You need professional help immediately.
Multiple failed DIY attempts mean it’s time to bring in the experts.
If you’ve been setting traps for two weeks without reducing the activity, you’re either dealing with a large infestation or not addressing the root cause.
Professionals have access to stronger products and more effective strategies than what’s available at hardware stores.
Certain situations absolutely require professional treatment.
If you have rodents in your walls, attic, or HVAC system, trying to handle it yourself could make things worse.
Professionals can safely remove rodents from sensitive areas and repair the damage they’ve caused without creating bigger problems for your Nevada home.
Sealing And Exclusion Techniques
Steel wool is your best friend when blocking rodent entry points.
Rodents can chew through almost anything, but they hate the feel and taste of steel wool.
Stuff it tightly into any holes or gaps you find, then cover it with caulk or expanding foam to hold it in place permanently.
Door sweeps are simple but incredibly effective at keeping rodents out.
Install them on all exterior doors, including garage doors and basement entrances.
Look for heavy-duty rubber or brush-style sweeps that create a complete seal when the door is closed.
Replace worn-out sweeps immediately.
Screens and mesh covers protect vulnerable openings like vents and chimneys.
Use hardware cloth with quarter-inch or smaller openings—regular window screen is too flimsy and rodents will chew right through it.
Secure all screens with screws rather than staples, which rodents can pull out.
Check these barriers twice a year to make sure they’re still intact and doing their job.
Understanding Nevada’s Specific Rodent Species
Deer mice are extremely common throughout Nevada and particularly active in rural and suburban areas.
They’re smaller than house mice, with white bellies and large ears.
What makes them especially concerning is they’re the primary carrier of hantavirus in the western United States, making them more than just a nuisance.
Roof rats prefer warmer climates and have been spreading throughout Nevada in recent years.
Unlike Norway rats that live in burrows, roof rats are excellent climbers who nest in attics, trees, and upper levels of buildings.
They have long tails, large ears, and sleek bodies built for climbing.
House mice are the most common indoor rodent problem across Nevada.
They’re small, curious, and adapt quickly to living alongside humans.
These little guys can survive on just a few grams of food per day and don’t even need a regular water source if they’re eating moist food, making them incredibly resilient pests.
Long-term Prevention And Maintenance
Creating a seasonal inspection routine is the key to staying rodent-free year after year.
Mark your calendar to check your Nevada home’s exterior every three months, paying special attention before winter arrives.
Walk completely around your house looking for new cracks, gaps, or damage that could let rodents inside.
Maintenance goes beyond just looking for problems—you need to fix them quickly.
Small cracks in your foundation will only get bigger over time, and what starts as a hairline fracture can become a rodent superhighway within a single season.
Keep supplies like caulk, steel wool, and expanding foam on hand so you can make repairs immediately.
Document your efforts by taking photos of problem areas before and after repairs.
This helps you track which spots need more attention and shows you the progress you’re making.
Share your knowledge with neighbors too—rodent control works better when the whole neighborhood participates, since these pests simply move from house to house looking for easy targets.