The autumn and winter months are a great time to snuggle up in your home and relax. However, pests can make your winter much less enjoyable. If you need help taking the necessary precautions, the Killers are here to ensure a pest infestation doesn’t happen!
We provide rodent removal, cockroach extermination and more because our pest control company’s first goal is to ensure your winter is as pest-free as possible. Winter pests like rodents and cockroaches are always looking for a warm place to nest and will take advantage of any openings they can find in your home.
This blog post will discuss how to pest-proof your home for fall and winter. We will cover which common pests to watch out for, where they typically enter the home, and what practical steps you can take to keep them out!
Common Winter Pests
While bees, wasps, ants, and termites might be more associated with summer, they can also be autumn pests. All of these insects prepare for hibernation as the weather gets colder. In the later summer and fall months, they begin foraging food and saving it in their colonies. Other insects will look for warm places to build their nests. Regardless, your lovely toasty home becomes a target for autumn and winter.
Common winter pests include spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice, and moths. These pests are attracted to your home for warmth, food and shelter. For example, spiders seek a place to build their webs and catch prey. Cockroaches are searching for food sources. Mice and rats want to find a warm place to nest. And finally, moths are attracted to your home because they feed on fabrics and do not suffer cold well.
Barring you don’t notice them, your home represents the safest bet for a refuge from the elements and a constant food supply. That’s why pest-proofing your home is so important. Otherwise, it’s like hanging a vacancy sign on the front door.
Three Tips To Keep Pests Out This Fall and Winter
Now that we’ve discussed which pests you can expect this winter. It’s time to see what you can do before calling a pest control company.
Seal Up Gaps In Window Sills, Door Frames, or Molding
To prevent this, seal any cracks or openings outside your house. You should also regularly check your windows and doors to ensure they are properly sealed and free of any gaps. Most pests will see any gap as a grand entrance, which turns home maintenance objects like door strips and screens into your first line of defense. Rodents and spiders especially love to enter homes through cracks and crevices, especially attic vents. If you have gaps in window sills, door frames, or molding, use caulking or spackling to plug them up.
By denying entry to these pests, you deny them the first step to infesting your home. From there, it becomes much simpler to follow the rest of our tips and keep your home watertight. Or maybe we should say pest-tight? Moving on!
Keep Food In Sealed Containers and Away From Countertops
Another winter pest to be on the lookout for is the cockroach. One might think that because the pesky foraging antics of ants and wasps are all done, that food storage can relax. But they would be mistaken! Cockroaches are attracted to food and moisture, so they will often enter homes through kitchens and bathrooms.
By reducing access to food, you can prevent cockroaches, rats, and mice infestations. To prevent cockroaches from entering your home, keep food products in sealed containers and regularly clean your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Also, ensure your garbage cans have no holes or gaps.
Set Up Traps In High-Risk Areas
If there’s one thing the pest control industry has down to a tee, it’s making traps for every home invader under the sun. From spiders and cockroaches to ants and rats, if it creeps or crawls, there’s a way to lure, trap and remove it. Most out-of-the-box traps are both small and ready out-of-the-box. The hardest thing about retail traps is just remembering to replace them.
Homeowners can place ant, cockroach or mouse traps in crawlspaces and hard-to-reach crevices. Mothballs can be placed in the pockets of coats to ward off moths. Poison traps, while also an option, are not recommended if you have small children or pets in the home and can’t tuck poison traps safely away from them.
Take Preventative Measures Against Pests This Winter!
And that’s it! Well, not totally, but following these simple tips can help prevent or reduce the likelihood of winter pests entering your home.
If you still need pest or rodent control professionals to safely and effectively remove pests and seal any gaps in your pest control approach or clear a rat infestation, among others, contact The Killers. We have been operating across Oregon and Washington, becoming the Pacific Northwest’s number one pest control option.
Our highly trained and experienced technicians provide you with the best possible pest control treatments. Our many locations mean we can reach homes as far away as Yacolt or Albany. We offer a wide range of services to suit your needs, including eco-friendly solutions for rat removal in Vancouver.
Still not convinced? Check out our stellar reviews on Google. Once you’re done, contact us via our website or call us at (503) 777-3141. We are happy to take your call today for any questions or concerns about our quality pest control services.
