The recent rains may have been enough to drive field rats and mice to seek shelter in a warm, dry place... like your home.
Service calls for rodent infestations have jumped 10 to 15 percent since the rainstorms hit last week, according to the North County Times.
Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe and Temecula's Wine Country seem to be feeling the infestation hardest where the rodents are refugees from vineyards and avocado groves, Herman White with Terminix told the paper.
Most of the infestation has already happened, but Greg Slawson with the county’s vector control program told the paper that there are a few steps people can take to prevent their home from becoming a safe haven for rats and mice:
- Trim trees so branches don't touch the house
- Clear a perimeter around the house to create open space
- Block all holes leading into the home
- Don't leave doors open
- Repair damage to window screens and screen doors
Rodents can squeeze through openings the width of a quarter, White said, and they like to live where people can't see or get to them.
