As I cleaned out a storage unit a couple days ago I sensed movement in my peripheral visionI turned my gaze toward the area of motion just in time to spot a long, slender tail disappearing into a holeThe incident alerted me to the fast approaching seasonal invasion of mice and rats.

Soon the rodents will move to their winter residence in homes everywhereAre you ready?

I haven't seen the signs of rodent activity in my house yet, and thinking about that I find myself slightly surprised because temperatures lately are colder than normalI turned my furnace on around two weeks agoMost years I wait until the end of October or early November before I do that.

With temperatures so far below the usual upper 60s early rodent signs in the house wouldn't surprise meA few always seem to find their way inside no matter how many preventative steps I take to block their entry.