Winter Pests 101: What’s Lurking Indoors This Season
By Rick – Ace Ventura Pest & Wildlife Control
Opening Scene
Every winter, I get at least one call that reminds me how sneaky cold-weather pests can be. Earlier this month, a family in Granite Bay reached out because they kept hearing faint scratching behind the pantry wall. They thought it was the house settling, but after a few nights of it getting louder, they decided to call me. As soon as I walked into the pantry, I saw small droppings along the baseboard and a gap around the water line that didn’t look right. It didn’t take long to figure out that mice had taken advantage of the cold weather and moved in.
The Problem: A Hidden Infestation Taking Hold
At first, the family thought the issue was limited to the occasional noises coming from inside the walls. But it didn’t take long to see that the problem had already spread well beyond that.
1. Evidence of Mouse Activity
A quick check of the pantry shelves revealed clear signs of mice:
Cereal boxes with gnawed corners
Food packaging that had been disturbed overnight
When I moved a few stored holiday decorations, I found the beginning of a small nesting pocket tucked behind an old cookie tin. That discovery confirmed the mice weren’t just passing through—they were actively settling in.
2. Multiple Pests Seeking Shelter
The situation wasn’t limited to rodents. With colder weather pushing pests indoors, the pantry had become an ideal environment: warm, quiet, and rarely disturbed.
During the inspection, I found:
Two spiders tucked into the warmer upper corners, likely drawn to heat from a nearby vent
A single cockroach hiding behind the refrigerator, wedged near the motor where heat is constant
Why This Matters
Nothing had reached an out-of-control stage yet, but the conditions were clearly heading in that direction. When pests establish food access, warmth, and shelter in one area, the problem rarely stays small for long.
For the family, the concern went beyond seeing pests. It was about:
The risk of contaminated food
The frustration of repeated cleaning
The stress of not knowing what might still be hiding out of sight
Catching the issue at this stage made a big difference—but ignoring it would have allowed a minor problem to turn into a much larger one.
The Process
Once I had a clear picture of what was going on, I walked the family through the plan so they knew exactly what we were dealing with. Then I got to work. The first step was closing off every spot the mice were using to get in or move around. I sealed up the gap around the water line, tightened up a loose vent screen outside, and patched a thin crack where the concrete met the siding. These spots don’t look like much, but to a mouse they’re basically a welcome sign.
After the house was sealed up, I set a few traps in the areas with the most activity — mainly the pantry and the attic space above it. I placed them in a way that targeted the mice without disturbing the family’s day-to-day routine. For the spiders and that one roach I found, I used indoor treatments that are safe to use around kids and pets. I also wiped down a couple of areas and showed the homeowners how to keep things cleaner without turning their pantry upside down.
As I worked, I explained each step so they knew what I was doing and why. I don’t like rushing through a job and keeping people in the dark. When someone understands the process, they feel more in control of their home again, and that matters just as much as the actual treatment.
The Outcome
A few days later, things started to calm down. The scratching that kept them up at night stopped. The traps caught the mice that were inside, and no new signs showed up after that. By the end of the week, the pantry was clean, the food was safe, and the family finally felt comfortable walking in there without wondering what might run out from behind a box.
When I checked back in with them, they told me it was the first time in weeks they’d slept without waking up to noises in the walls. You could hear the relief in their voices. It wasn’t just about removing a few pests — it was about giving them their home back without the constant worry.
DIY Advice
Before I left, I walked the homeowners through a few simple things they could do to keep pests from coming back:
Keep food sealed in airtight containers
Check under sinks and behind appliances for gaps
Sweep up crumbs and spills sooner than later
Store decorations in plastic bins instead of cardboard
Make sure weather stripping on doors actually seals
Professional Insight
Winter pests can be tough because they don’t always show themselves right away. Most of what’s happening is behind appliances, inside wall voids, or up in the attic where people rarely look. Homeowners can definitely handle the basics — sealing small gaps, keeping food stored properly, and staying on top of cleaning — and those steps really do help.
But once rodents, roaches, or even spiders find a comfortable spot and start building nests or laying eggs, it becomes a different kind of job. At that point, you need tools made for tight spaces, baiting methods that are safe but effective, and a clear understanding of how these pests move through a home. It’s not about trying to push professional help. It’s just being honest that some infestations are deeper than they look, and stopping them completely is easier when you know where to look and what signs are easy to miss.
Closing
Every job I take on teaches me something, even after all these years. This one reminded me that winter doesn’t stop pest problems — it just brings them closer to where we live. If you’re in Granite Bay or the surrounding area and you’re hearing small noises, finding droppings, or noticing things that don’t seem right, it’s better to look into it sooner instead of hoping it goes away. I’m always around if you need someone to check things out or just want a second opinion.
– Rick
