Cold Weather Rat Behavior in Greenwood: What Changes in December
Foraging, hoarding, and food resource use during December in Greenwood
December typically brings colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours in Greenwood, which can heighten the energy demands on rats while limiting the ease of foraging. In response, rats tend to adjust by increasing the efficiency of their foraging efforts and prioritizing high-energy food sources. They actively seek out seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, and any readily edible human-provided foods, such as kitchen scraps, pet food left outdoors, and birdseed. The presence of winter-feeding opportunities—from households, gardens, and urban waste streams—can shape where and when they forage, often steering activity toward places with abundant, calorie-dense resources. To balance energy intake with reduced exposure, they may optimize their travel patterns to occur during milder spells or in the cover of night.
Food resource use during December often involves a mix of reliance on readily available resources and reliance on stored supplies. Many rats engage in hoarding as a strategy to smooth out the feast-or-famine nature of winter. They may scatter caches of seeds, grains, and nuts across multiple discreet locations along their foraging routes, inside wall voids, under debris, or in sheltered nooks near nests. By spreading caches, they reduce the risk that a single depleted cache will jeopardize their survival. In some situations, larder-like hoarding close to the nest—gathering and guarding a concentrated stash—also occurs, especially when conditions favor keeping a reliable food supply nearby in a relatively protected space. Cache locations are often chosen to be quiet, warm, and easy to revisit, balancing security from predators with accessibility.
Cold weather in December can further influence how and where rats forage and hoard. While rats do not hibernate, severe cold pushes them to prioritize nest efficiency and insulation, which can bring them closer to structures and sheltered microhabitats. They may nest in wall cavities, basements, attics, or behind appliances where warmth and relative humidity make foraging periods more tolerable. Small-scale adjustments—such as taking advantage of cracks, gaps around doors or utility openings, and other entry points—allow them to access food resources more safely and with less energy expenditure. Activity patterns can become highly opportunistic: when exterior conditions are harsh, they may reduce daytime activity and concentrate movement during warmer or more favorable periods, or rely more on indoor resources that provide reliable warmth. Overall, December fosters a shift toward more strategic foraging and caching as rats adapt to the combination of scarce natural foods and the presence of human-provided resources, with nesting and microhabitat selection playing a central role in sustaining winter populations in Greenwood.
