Not all wild animals hibernate during the winter months. The comeback of chill means the same for many animals- costs more time inside a home. Their needs are basic. In the winter, they move to a place where they have shelter from the elements, water, and food. When temperatures drop, rodents, such as rats head indoors to look for for food, plus they might choose YOUR house for their new house.



While rats, like any animal, can freeze to death in extreme circumstances, this creature normally has prepared, and heads for preplanned shelter when icy temperatures hit.

In the wild, rats will have already scoped out a hollow log, rocky outcrop, or cave. Some rats will even burrow into the ground and make a den. Towards the end of fall, the rats will stockpile food to prepare for a long stay home. They mark their new digs by urinating all over their stores of food.

Rats in a more suburban setting will happily move into your space.
Unused vehicles are the perfect winter home by rodents. Rats will build nests in the Engine compartments and ventilation systems where they feel safe and protected. The rats build their nests from found materials like chewed up seat cushions and any paper scraps on the floor. They use the ventilation system like tunnels to travel through the vehicle. Outbuildings plus human dwellings can also provide excellent shelter for the wintering rats. They use crawl space region under buildings as rat highways. Rats will use garages as well as sheds if an insulated space is obtainable inside the organization. They will crawl up into boxes and toppers to make a cozy nest, storing food and marking it with urine, just as they would any nesting area. Barns and stalls have plenty of food and shelter for rats to last out the cold months. Human dwellings and outbuildings can also provide excellent shelter for the wintering rats.

They use crawl space areas beneath buildings as rat highways. Rats do not like being out in the open, so they and require a secluded area. If a rat has the opportunity, it will gladly infest the interior of your home as well. There are (literally) thousands of ways for a determined rat to access your home. During the winter months when they seek shelter from the cold, a determined rat will find them all. A rat can fit through a hole the size of a quarter. This means that any hole in your siding, crack under a door or window, or loose piece of facia board can allow them entrance to your home. Rats are strong swimmers, and a determined rat will swim up sewage pipes in order to make a warm winter nest. Read the How to get rid of rats page for helpful information and to learn more about Do rats die in the winter?

Do rats die in the winter?