What To Do When Pests Move Indoors During the Winter

With winter kicking into high gear and cold temperatures settling in, many homeowners tend to let their guards down with respect to pest control measures for their homes. After all, most insect activity outdoors grinds to a halt this time of year. Wasps and hornets are no longer buzzing about. Ants are no longer trailing along the home’s foundation. Everything seems quiet. But is this really the case?

Pest Activity in the Winter

Some homeowners find their pest problems indoors worsening throughout the winter even though pest pressure outside is subsiding.

• Overwintering pests such as stink bugs, boxelder bugs, and Asian beetles aggressively seek shelter inside homes during this time of year.
• Established ant populations inside homes may continue to persist and emerge in search of food or water.
• Rodents such as rats and mice persistently try to gnaw or squeeze their way through openings as small as a dime to get out of the cold and into the comforts of your garage, basement, attic, or other living spaces.
• Spiders and silverfish often become more prevalent.

What To Do for Pest Control During the Winter

Winter is an ideal time to assess pest activity levels inside the home and implement treatment measures to mitigate existing problems before they worsen in the spring or summer. Disruptions in the continuity of a pest control service plan open the door for the reintroduction or reemergence of pests. Whether you’ve engaged a pest control company to help keep your home pest-free or managed this on your own, it’s a good idea to keep your pest control measures intact without interruption.

Professional Pest Control Services Over the Winter

If you have a professional pest control provider, keep it active over the winter. A winter pest visit is a valuable part of an ongoing service plan that puts the pest control provider in a much better position to maintain the pest-free environment you are investing in.

• If mouse droppings or other indications of rodent activity are detected, an aggressive trapping and removal program can be initiated inside the home, along with an exterior rodent reduction program to begin reducing populations outside.
• This time of year also provides an opportunity for a meaningful exterior pest inspection, as areas around the foundation of the home may be more visible and accessible than other times of the year when foliage may be in full bloom.
• Prints in the snow may indicate the presence of certain types of nuisance wildlife that might warrant additional action or consideration.

Managing Your Own Pest Control Needs Over the Winter

• Inspect often and vacuum regularly.
• Look for evidence of mice or rats inside cabinets, beneath appliances or along the edges of walls in your garage or basement. Take note of exposed insulation in your basement, looking for holes, stains, runways, or droppings.
• In bathrooms or laundry rooms, look inside or beneath cabinets where silverfish or other pests may be harboring.
• Pay special attention to areas around windows and doors, as many pests may emerge from these areas or accumulate towards them. Seals around doors, windows, or utility penetrations often become more pronounced during the colder months.
• Outside the home, look for any indications of potential points of entry and try to seal them as best as possible. Gutters may become clogged with leaves, branches, snow, ice, or other debris in a way that creates potential pest-related concerns.

Why Year-Round Pest Control Makes a Difference

Stopping and starting leads to gaps in the treatment plan, less awareness of the pest presence around your home throughout the year and makes it much harder to deliver continuous results.

Most homeowners find that the most effective approach to keeping their home environment consistently free of pests is by incorporating an ongoing, year-round pest control service plan with a licensed pest control professional.

By including automatic, routinely scheduled exterior applications strategically spaced throughout the year, ongoing service plans are positioned to keep the outside environment around your home unfavorable for pests all year long. By minimizing pest populations during the warmer months of the year, pest intrusion during the colder becomes much less likely.

Consider the services of a licensed local Spring Green professional for pest control treatments.