People don’t think of the colder months as being particularly bad for pest problems. That’s mostly because they’re thinking of outdoor insects like mosquitoes, wasps, ants, and termites. Cockroaches, rats, mice, and spiders are all active during the winter months. In fact, you’ll probably notice rodents more in winter than you will during the warmer seasons.
Rodents and other pests are much like people. People like warm, climate-controlled temperatures with easy access to food and water. However, rodents don’t respect property rights or civilized society. They will break into your home, set up shop, and from there, you and your family could be in danger.
In this article, we’ll discuss winter pest control efforts and preventative pest control.
House Mice
As the weather begins to cool off, house mice go looking for a warmer place to habitat. Your wonderful temperature-controlled home provides them with everything they need. First, they’re attracted to the warmth. They can get in through cracks in your foundation, vents, or even through your attic. Once they’re there, they begin looking for food. They’ll eventually find some. They’ll set up a nest and now you have a mouse problem.
There are a couple of things that you can do to prevent house mice from entering your home. First, you want to go around your property and ensure that there aren’t any easy access points. This includes the area around your foundation, your garage, and your attic. Attics are susceptible when boards don’t fully close off the eaves of your roof. Mice are excellent climbers and can scale electric lines.
Second, you’ll want to make sure all of your perishable food is stored in closed plastic containers. You do not want cereal left in boxes or anything like that. Anything that mice can chew through is a bad place to store food this winter.
Norway Rats
Norway rats are larger than house mice but can still exploit a hole in your property that is roughly the size of a quarter. They’re attracted to your home because of the warmth and as the temperature gets colder, they go in search of places to take refuge from the cold. They also like to chew, so once they’re in there, you can expect your woodwork, drywall, and even electrical wiring to be in danger.
Like mice, they are vectors for several potentially fatal diseases including plague. Come wintertime, you want to make sure that the foundation around your house, vents, and attic are not penetrable. Rats are very difficult to get rid of once they’ve set up a nest.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches can survive a nuclear apocalypse so it should come as no surprise that they can also survive colder temperatures. Not that they like colder temperatures, but they have a way of finding their way into houses and buildings that supply them with warmth, food, and water.
The way to deal with cockroaches is to clean out your cupboards and countertops with bleach. You want to make sure that all foodstuffs are contained within plastic sealable containers. They may come for warmth, but they stay for the food.
Those with severe allergies are the most severely impacted by the presence of cockroaches.
Spiders
Some people think having spiders around their house is a good thing because they keep the other bug populations at bay. However, the only reason you have spiders in your home is due in large part to the large populations of prey insects that are also in your home. Getting rid of spiders requires that you plan in advance. You want to keep shrubbery a decent distance from your home. While a stray spider will find its way regardless of what you do, a full-blown infestation is a sign of a bigger problem.
Squirrels & Raccoons
While squirrels like to stick to their trees where they’re safe and happy, they will invade attics where they’ll start families. While not the worst pests in the world, they can spread diseases and destroy your property. You want to check around the eaves of your home from the attic to prevent squirrels from accessing your home.
Raccoons are another common problem for homeowners. Keeping your garbage in the garage can prevent messy mornings. Animal-proof lids are another option.
Talk To A Pest Control Specialist Today
If you’re having issues with pests this winter and you can’t seem to take care of it by yourself, hire the experts at Elevate Pest Control and we will provide a solution to your problem.