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Well, howdy neighbors! Fred Talley here from Faith Pest Control in Jasper, Georgia.
October is one of the prettiest times of year to live up here near Sharptop Mountain and Burnt Mountain. The air gets crisp, fire pits get fired up, and high school football is going strong. But right when you settle into your recliner late at night, that faint scritch-scritch-scritch sound starts echoing from your ceiling or behind the baseboards.
If you are hearing scurrying sounds in the dark, you are not imagining things. October marks the seasonal surge when field mice, deer mice, and roof rats pack their bags and head straight for North Georgia crawlspaces and attics.
Why does this happen so suddenly in October? Two things drive rodents inside: falling outdoor temperatures and shrinking food supplies. Once the hardwoods shed their foliage and wild seeds dry up, mice use their keen sense of smell to track the warm air currents wafting out of your home’s subfloor and attic vents.
Most homeowners ask me, “Fred, my doors and windows stay closed tight—how on earth are they getting inside?” The reality is that mice possess incredible physical flexibility. A full-grown field mouse can slip through an opening the size of a dime—just a quarter of an inch wide!
The most common entryways we uncover across Pickens County homes include:
Gaps around AC line sets: Where the insulated refrigerant lines enter the exterior siding, plumbers and HVAC techs often leave small gaps that mice treat as an open front door.
Foundation and crawlspace vents: Rusted vent screens, unlatched crawlspace access doors, or gaps beneath wooden sills allow rodents immediate access to warm subfloor insulation.
Rooflines and overhanging tree limbs: Tree branches touching gutters give mice, rats, and squirrels elevated bridges to bypass your foundation entirely and enter gable vents or roof joints.
Once inside, rodents pose serious risks. They gnaw on electrical wiring, shred fiberglass insulation to build nests, and leave unsanitary droppings. Standard foam spray from the hardware store will not stop them either; mice chew right through plain expanding foam. You have to back it with coarse stainless steel wool or hardware cloth to stop their teeth cold.
If you suspect uninvited four-legged guests have set up camp above your head or beneath your floors, do not let them multiply. Call me at Faith Pest Control at 770-823-9202. We will pinpoint the entry points, handle the pests, and keep your home protected.
