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As winter lingers into February, Phinney Ridge homeowners should be alert to early warning signs that rodents are moving into or around homes. This neighborhood’s older craftsman houses, tree-lined streets, nearby green spaces and alleyways create welcoming habitat for mice and rats; cold, wet weather and reduced outdoor food availability often push rodents to seek…

Every late winter, homeowners in Lake City begin to notice an uptick in tiny footprints, chewed cardboard, and the telltale scrapings in attics and walls. That surge in mouse activity just before spring isn’t random — it’s the predictable result of mouse biology intersecting with local environmental conditions and human behavior. Understanding why mice move…

February sits at a tipping point in the Pacific Northwest calendar. In Seattle, a month that historically brings cool, wet conditions and the occasional hard freeze, average highs hover around 47°F (8°C) and lows near 36°F (2°C). Those borderline temperatures make February a critical gauntlet for overwintering pests: prolonged cold and frosts can kill eggs,…

Late winter is a deceptively busy time for pests in Ravenna homes. After months of hunkering down in protected crevices, many insects and rodents start moving again as daylight lengthens and temperatures fluctuate. Even when snow still blankets yards, warm pockets inside houses, basements, crawl spaces and attics become magnets for wildlife and insects looking…

As winter turns toward spring, many expect rodent activity to drop off as temperatures fall — yet in Northgate, rats commonly remain active in and around neighborhood garages well into late winter. Garages offer an unusually accommodating combination of shelter, steady food sources, and thermal refuge that allows commensal rat species (principally Norway rats and…

Each year the late-winter “February thaw” — a stretch of milder weather that temporarily lifts temperatures above freezing — reshuffles the invisible boundaries between outdoor and indoor habitats. For people living and working in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood like the University District, that brief warm spell is more than a welcome break from cold: it…

Every late winter, many homeowners notice increased rodent activity around their magnolia trees — more rustling in the leaf litter, gnawed seed pods, and the occasional trail of droppings. That pattern isn’t coincidence. A combination of rodent biology, the physical characteristics of magnolias, and typical yard-management practices converge in late winter and early spring to…

February brings a particular set of pest-control challenges to downtown Seattle that property managers, business owners, and residents should not ignore. The city’s mild, wet maritime climate means winter temperatures rarely drop low enough to halt pest activity entirely, and persistent rainfall drives moisture into foundations, crawlspaces and wall cavities—creating ideal shelter and food sources…

Beacon Hill’s narrow streets, brick rowhouses and centuries-old infrastructure give the neighborhood its unmistakable character — and, for urban rodents, abundant opportunity. Even as temperatures plunge late into winter, rats continue to nest and reproduce in and around Beacon Hill homes. Their persistence reflects a blend of biology and built-environment factors: access to warmth, shelter…

February is a transitional month in many temperate towns, and in Wallingford the lingering wetness from winter—combined with freeze-thaw cycles and occasional milder spells—creates the perfect conditions for a rise in pest activity. Moisture problems that might seem minor on the surface—damp basements, clogged gutters, slow drains, or condensation on windows—do more than damage wood…