Maybe you’ve heard this phrase before, but winter is coming. The cold and snow won’t eliminate your problem with household pests, however. In fact, cold weather just drives a lot of insects and animals indoors, where it’s warmer.
What Kinds of Pests Head Indoors During Winter?
The most common pests homeowners have to manage during the winter include mice, rats, squirrels, birds, bats, moths, spiders, and other insects.
According to Rocco A. Cambareri of Insecta X, these pests can be more than just a mere annoyance. “Rodents and insects, including fleas, roaches, and bedbugs, have the potential to both cause extensive damage to property and carry diseases to humans. Eradicating them is your only safe option.”
What’s the Best Way to Keep Winter Pests at Bay?
When it comes to household pests, preventing an infestation is easier than resolving one. You can protect your home from unwanted guests with the following steps:
- Seal any opening you can find. Rats and mice can squeeze through openings no bigger than a dime. Grab a caulk gun and some weather stripping and inspect every corner of your home and windows for openings they can use.
- Clean shrubbery, leaves, and other potential hideaways near your home. Clearing the ground near your home and eliminating sources of cover for pests will make your home less attractive and harder to access.
- Check the cap on your chimney. Sealing your chimney will help keep birds, bats, and squirrels from using it as an access point.
- Eliminate sources of food and water. Keep the kitchen clean, store food in airtight containers, keep your trash cans tightly lidded, and eliminate any leaky pipes or damp spaces in the basement. A clean, dry home offers little in the way of sustenance for many pests.
- Inspect everything that comes into your home. Roaches, bedbugs, silverfish, earwigs, and spiders can be hiding in grocery bags, second-hand furniture, and the boxes that come with your deliveries. Wash any clothes you bring in to eliminate moths.
What if You Already Have an Infestation in Your Home?
Despite your best efforts, you may still find some of these common winter pests freeloading around your home. If so, don’t mess around with at-home traps and chemical sprays. Once an infestation happens, it’s generally wisest to get professional pest control services involved. They have methods of eradicating household pests quickly, without putting your family or pets in harm’s way from dangerous chemicals.