If you're like most people, you're enjoying the current crisp autumn weather as well as the seasonal bounty of good things to eat and drink. You're probably also starting to think ahead to the holiday season, especially if you're planning on having houseguests or hosting gatherings of family and friends. However, there are some houseguests who aren't welcome no matter how merry the festivities are, such as mice, and they always seem to want to crash parties during the holidays. Here's why you should have your home professionally treated for mice infestations as part of your preparation for the celebratory season. 

Mice Are Seeking Warm Places to Winter

Mice live happily outdoors in late spring, summer, and early autumn, but when nights start to get chilly, rodents start looking for warm places to spend the winter. This often means they look to the nearest human habitat. Because they can squeeze through openings as small as a dime, it's essential to block any possible points of entry prior to mice moving indoors. The last thing you want is to trap them inside your house for the winter. Mice control services will perform a meticulous inspection of your home exterior to ensure that entry points are completely covered.

Mice Are Seeking Food

Mice have voracious appetites and have evolved to be able to survive on a wide variety of foods. During the spring, summer, and early fall, wild mice dine on seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, and insects, but at some point between middle and late autumn, their natural food sources begin to dry up. They're drawn to human homes by enticing aromas of food being prepared, and once inside, they settle down to raise their families. 

Besides having all possible entry points thoroughly sealed up, you should also practice meticulous sanitation in order to discourage mice and other rodents from setting their sights on your home interior as their winter home. Keep in mind that it isn't enough to simply clean countertops and floors on a regular basis. You also need to keep your home exterior as free as possible of anything that could provide rodent habitat.

If they aren't able to access your home interior because the exterior has been sealed up, they'll look for warm spots next to exterior walls. Keep this area free of brush, fallen leaves, and anything else mice could use as habitat to cut down on the risk of them slipping inside your home through open doors.