Roof rats breed all year, with peaks in late winter and late spring. Summer heat pushes rodents toward shade, water and crawl spaces. Heavy rain floods burrows near the Brazos and creeks. Fall harvest and the first cold fronts send field mice into garages and homes.
Dealing with it right now? Skip the reading and talk to a local rodent technician.
(254) 263-4080No real off season
In colder parts of the country, a hard winter knocks rodent numbers down. Waco doesn’t get that kind of reset. Texas Tech’s Mammals of Texas says roof rats breed throughout the year, with two peaks: February and March, and again in May and June. Gestation is about 21 days and litters average nearly seven young.
That means the work of keeping rodents out never fully stops. Each season does bring its own pattern, though, and knowing it helps you get ahead.
Late winter: the first breeding peak
February and March are the first roof rat breeding peak, according to Texas Tech. Rats that wintered in your attic are raising young. You may hear more activity overhead, and droppings build up along the eaves.
What to do: check the attic with a flashlight for fresh droppings and runways. Trim tree limbs back from the roof before spring growth fills them in. If you hear rats, trap now, before the spring litters are out on their own.
Spring: storms and the second peak
May and June bring the second breeding peak. Spring is also storm season in Central Texas. Heavy rain raises the Brazos, the Bosque and the creeks that run through town, and floods burrows on low ground. Norway rats move uphill toward houses, sheds and garages.
Waco has a long flood history. The City’s history of Elm Avenue lists major floods in 1885, 1913 and 1936, before Lake Waco Dam and Lake Whitney Dam brought flooding under control. High water after storms still matters for rodents.
What to do: after heavy rain, walk the slab edge, skirting and fence line for new burrows. Keep woodpiles and stored materials off the ground. Avoid wading in standing water; the CDC says leptospirosis spreads through water or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals, and rodents are among them.
Summer: heat pushes them toward shade and water
The National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office lists July 4 and August 30 as the average first and last 100-degree days at Waco, based on records back to 1902. In 2011, Waco recorded 90 days at 100 degrees or more.
Heat changes where rodents spend the day. Attics get too hot in the afternoon, so roof rats move into wall voids or outside to shaded spots and come back at night. Rodents of all kinds look for water: dripping A/C condensate lines, leaky hose bibs, pet water bowls, watered flower beds and damp crawl spaces under pier-and-beam homes.
Heat also speeds decay. A rodent that dies in a wall or attic in July smells within days.
What to do: fix dripping outdoor faucets and condensate lines. Bring pet bowls in at night. Avoid baiting indoors. Schedule attic work early in the morning.
Fall: harvest, cold fronts and the fair
Fall is when many Waco homes notice mice inside. As fields around town are cut and harvested and the first cold fronts come through, field mice move toward the nearest shelter. Homes on the edges of town, near North Lake Waco, Robinson, China Spring and McGregor, often see it first. Garages fill up with stored items that make good nesting spots.
Pecans drop in fall too, and fallen nuts feed rats and squirrels through the winter.
Big events bring extra food waste. The Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo runs each October at the Extraco Events Center on Bosque Boulevard.
What to do: seal the garage door corners and bottom seal before the first cold front. Store birdseed, pet food and grass seed in metal cans. Pick up fallen pecans. Set a few snap traps along the garage walls as an early warning.
Winter: indoors and quiet
Waco winters are mild, and rodents stay active. Mice that moved in during fall settle into walls, cabinets and stored boxes. Holiday food and extra trash give them more to eat.
What to do: keep the gray cart lid closed. The City’s rules say all waste must fit with the lid completely closed. Get holiday boxes and bulky trash to the curb; the City offers one free bulky pickup a month by request. Check under sinks and in the pantry for droppings.
A year-round routine
- Every season: walk the outside of the house and look for gaps, burrows and rub marks.
- Late winter: trim limbs off the roof.
- After storms: check for new burrows.
- Summer: fix leaks and remove water sources.
- Late summer to early fall: seal the garage and low gaps.
- Any time: keep food sealed and trash carts closed.
If you’re seeing signs in more than one season, the gaps are still open. Rats in the attic, garage and shed rodent control and the trash and yard rules guide cover the next steps.
Done reading and still finding signs? Get a technician to look at your house.
(254) 263-4080