When are rats and mice the most active?

Content Updated: September 4, 2025

Key takeaways

• Despite what you may believe, neither rats nor mice hibernate during the winter months—in fact, you’re more likely to encounter them as it gets colder.
• These rodents have a drive for survival that leads them to the warmth of the indoors, making early August to November mice and rat season.
• Attics, garages, and barns are some of the more common locations for mice and rats to make themselves comfortable in.
• Preventing rodent infestations starts with taking away access to the things they need to survive: food and shelter.

Jump to section:

Do rodents like mice and rats hibernate?

What time of year are rats and mice most active?

Why do mice and rats enter homes?

How can I prepare my home for rodent season?

If you think mice and rats hibernate, you’re in for a big surprise. These rodents stay active throughout the winter, and when the temperature starts to plunge, rats and mice actually become more likely to seek out food and shelter from inside homes and buildings.

Do what you can to nip this potential problem in the bud. Learn about rats and mice, what attracts these rodents to your home, and how you can help get rid of rats and mice this winter—or any time of year.

Do rodents like mice and rats hibernate?

Neither mice nor rats hibernate, but there is a difference between their strategies for surviving the winter.

Mice are smaller and less tolerant of the cold, so their winter habits include:

• Seeking out warm, sheltered spaces like homes, garages, or barns.
• Remaining highly active throughout the season and foraging for food regularly
• Creating nests from soft materials like paper or fabric.

Rats, on the other hand, are larger and more adaptable to a variety of environments. Though they’re better equipped to handle colder outdoor temperatures than mice, that won’t stop them from entering homes or other buildings for warmth, shelter, and food. Two species of rats in particular like to make space for themselves on human property:

• Norway rats: These rodents often burrow into the ground or under structures to build insulated nests.
• Roof rats: When given the chance, these pests prefer to nest in attics or trees.

Both Norway rats and roof rats will stockpile food to sustain themselves through periods when foraging is more challenging.

What time of year are rats and mice most active?

Mice and rats are active year-round, but there are certain seasons when these rodents are more likely to come into contact with humans.

When are mice most active?

In the spring and summer when temperatures are warm, mice are very active and will breed and expand their population outdoors.

Mice have low cold tolerances, so when temperatures get colder in the fall and early winter months, they’ll look for warmer shelter and reliable food sources to survive. This leads them indoors, and this period of time is referred to as mice season.

Typically, mice season lasts from August to November, though this can vary depending on your local climate.

When are rats most active?

Rats are active in the spring and summer, as this is when they reproduce and grow their colonies. However, in the spring, rats may still seek shelter in basements, sheds, or attics to raise their young.

Rat activity spikes again in the fall and early winter months as temperatures drop and food becomes more scarce, causing rats to seek shelter indoors. Rat season, like mice season, typically lasts from August through early November. Both mice and rats are highly active at night, regardless of the season, but you’re generally more likely to notice rodents sneaking into your home during the cooler months.

Why do mice and rats enter homes?

Rodents are mammals, meaning they need to maintain a warm body temperature to survive. Couple that with the fact that harsh winter months mean there are fewer food sources readily available, and you can see why rats and mice might decide to call your house “home” when it gets cold out for easier access to meals and warm shelter.

There are other factors that can attract mice and rats to your house, too. These include:

• A messy home, especially if you leave food out or don’t clean up spills immediately after they happen.
• Areas that provide shelter, such as woodpiles, leaf piles, shrubs, or debris.
• Pet food or excrement.
• Easy access to food and water, as rats are opportunistic when it comes to food, meaning they’ll climb into trash cans and compost heaps for meals.
• Ways to enter your home through cracks and holes in the foundation, vents, attics, and even gutters.

Once rodents settle into your home, they’re unlikely to leave on their own. While they might initially enter for refuge, the shelter and consistent resources your home provides can make it an ideal environment year-round. Without intervention, rodents may continue to nest, reproduce, and remain active in a home long after winter has passed.

How can I prepare my home for rodent season?

When you’re trying to figure out how to keep rats and mice away, it helps to first think of what a rodent would need to survive—and, of course, that’s food and shelter. The best deterrent is removing any factors that offer these rodents what they need. Here are several ways to help do just that:

• Fix leaky outdoor faucets to cut off water supplies.
• Inspect your home and plug up any holes that are larger than a ¼ inch.
• Keep tree limbs trimmed and cut back any tree branches that touch or hang over your home so rats can’t climb inside. Additionally, you’ll want to cut back ivy or other climbing vines from the side of your house.
• Clean your home regularly, and pay special attention to the kitchen. Don’t forget to sweep up your floor and to check easy-to-forget areas, including under the toaster and by the base of your fridge, oven, and trash can.
• Store dry goods and pet food in containers made of metal or glass. And remember not to leave food out. (This goes for bread, too. Put that loaf in the fridge or a breadbox!)
• Feed your pets inside the house and keep their water bowls indoors. You should also keep litter boxes clean and pick up any pet feces from your yard.
• Clean exterior bird feeders to eliminate food sources for rodents.
• Make sure the lids on your trash cans are secured tightly to help prevent rats from accessing the contents.
• Clear out the remains of your summer or fall garden and pick up any decaying fruit or nuts that may have fallen in your yard.
• Invest in a rat-proof compost bin, rather than leaving compost out in the open.
• Maintain a clean yard that’s free of fallen limbs, leaf piles, or debris.
• Stack firewood far away from your home, and only keep as much as you need on your property.

While the thought of discovering a rat in your house may be enough to make you want to move, you do have options. The first step is knowing what attracts rats and figuring out how to keep them away. The second is contacting a company that provides professional rodent control services, like Terminix.

A trained technician can inspect your home for these animals and help you set up a customized prevention plan with tailored mice or rat control services. Book your free rodent inspection today and evict mice and rats from your home and property.