How to Prevent Pests From Taking Over Your Home This Winter

A man doing pest control

When the weather gets cooler, pests begin to look for a warm place to live for the winter. Unfortunately, this often means that they move into your home. Prevent pests from taking over your home by watching for signs of these pests that want to move-in during winter months.

Mice

Mice cause a lot of problems, and the property damage that an infestation causes is quite alarming. These rodents will come into the home to get warm and nest, which usually means they’ll breed. A mouse infestation can happen rather quickly as mice breed constantly.

Seal up gaps and cracks that could serve as entry-points or traffic areas for mice, and keep food items, like trash, covered and inaccessible.

Spiders

Spiders can enter the home through the tiniest cracks or openings. Seal holes, cracks, broken windows, and loose fixtures as these are prime entry areas for most spiders. Wisconsin is known for some specific spiders, and although rare, the Black Widow and Brown Recluse have been reported in the region.

More common in this state are domestic house spiders, sac spiders, and cellar spiders. If you don’t tighten up your home and eliminate a way for spiders to get in, they will continue to take over in cooler weather. It might also be wise to invest in some pest control spray or contact a pest control expert to have them spray.

Squirrels

Squirrels can cause damage both inside and outside your home. From gnawing on wires and insulation materials in the attic to chewing on roofing flanges and siding under the eaves, squirrels are annoying little pests.

Seal up the areas under the eaves, near your chimney, and around any vents to prevent access, and contact a professional exterminator to remove the pest because squirrels can bite.

Roaches

Roaches are resilient and it takes a lot to keep these insects away when they want to come in. The best way to prevent this common critter from taking over is to keep gaps and cracks sealed, to inspect any secondhand items or groceries that you bring home and to keep counters and floors around appliances and the sink clean.

Wood Bugs

There are some bugs that enter your home each time you bring in an armload of firewood. Wood bugs are a class of pests that travel and enter your home on wood, such as stinkbugs or termites. To keep bugs off your firewood and out of your home:

Store firewood off the ground and away from your home.
Use a platform, such as pallets, to lift your firewood up and off the ground to reduce wood bugs.
Store firewood under sheets of taut plastic or tarps; this will warm up the wood which can kill the pests.
Depending on where you live, other insects may be prevalent and pose potential infestation risks as well.

Bedbugs

Once bedbugs gain entry to your home, it is very difficult to get rid of them. Bedbugs are terrific travelers and can enter the home on furniture, used linens or laundry. They also are commonly picked up during travel, from hotel rooms, and the bedbugs will live in suitcases until they infest your home.

Prevent bedbugs from coming home with you by keeping your luggage and clothing outside until you have washed and sanitized it after a trip.

If you procrastinate addressing a pest problem, you could end up with a full-blown infestation. Don’t underestimate rodents, bugs, and unwanted visitors. If you find signs of these pests in your home contact the professionals at Eliminator Pest Management Co. for extermination services in the central Wisconsin regions. They will resolve these issues quickly, efficiently and effectively.