5 Reasons Why You Need Pest Control In Winter
Many Canadian homeowners feel they don’t need pest control in winter. However, we’ve written this blog to convince you that winter pest control is indeed a worthwhile investment for your home. During the long, cold and seemingly never-ending winter months of December, January and February, the popular sentiment is that everything goes dormant.
We don’t blame you for feeling this way either. During fall, we all bear witness to trees shedding their leaves with bulbs and plant life re-emerging in spring. Additionally, we understand that species like birds migrate south to flock to warmer climates. You may even notice that your cockroach infestation that you’d been putting off doesn’t seem as severe as it did in the summer. All these things make us feel like winter pest control falls into the category of nice-to-have rather than necessity.
But this is false. To educate you about the importance of pest control in winter, Terminix Canada has listed five reasons why should be battening down the hatches and defending your home at this time of year.
Why You Need Pest Control In Winter
- Rodents like mice and rats seek shelter and warmth in winter
- Cold winter weather doesn’t affect wall dwelling pests
- Winter pest control prevents unwanted spring intrusions
- Attics provide winter shelter for spiders and wasps
- Carpenter ants and termites still destroy wood internally and unknowingly
1. Rodents Like Mice And Rats Seek Shelter And Warmth In Winter
First and foremost, both house mice and rats do not hibernate during winter. At this time of year, these rodents ride out Canadian cold season by seeking shelter in our homes. Setting up shop in dark and secluded spaces in our properties, the bad news is that rodents get awfully comfortable, awfully quick. Both incredibly cunning species, if human food is nearby, and mice and rodents have easy access, these rodents have no reason to leave. Ultimately, shelter, warmth and food sources provide them a safe haven until they can begin foraging for fruits, plants and seeds in springtime. Winter rodent control is also important given how quickly these species breed.
Nimble species, mice and rats enter properties through tiny cracks, gaps and crevices in the foundations and walls of homes. Did you know mice can expertly manoeuvre their bodies through small openings that are only a pencil width’s wide? If you’re wondering how to get rid of mice in the attic or how to get rid of a Norway rat, the answer is hiring a professional rat or mouse exterminator.
Read our blog on how to get rid of mice right now to understand the shortcomings of DIY mice control or rat removal tactics like mousetraps and pets that hunt.
2. Cold Winter Wather Doesn’t Affect Wall Dwelling Pests
Granted, winter’s cold weather means fewer pests invade your home compared to other times like summer. But what about pests that are already living in your space? Ultimately, pests that have already breached your property are not affected by freezing temperatures outdoors. We’re talking about pests that live between walls like carpenter ants, cockroaches, earwigs and termites. These types of pests can flourish indoors, riding out winter thanks to the maintenance of favourable living conditions.
We all love cozying up by the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate, especially during the holidays. Sounds delightful, right? While pests obviously won’t be doing that, the same sentiment applies in that insects stand a far greater chance of survival indoors compared to outdoors. Take the cockroach for example. One of the planet’s most resilient species, this pest is infamous for being nocturnal. Hiding during the day and emerging at night, cockroaches often reside behind kitchen units, appearing on kitchen countertops, areas behind refrigerators and where dirty dishes have been left. Able to survive for a month without food, a week without water, and even without a head, resilient pests like these require professional cockroach control.
3. Winter Pest Control Prevents Unwanted Spring Intrusions
As temperatures get warmer in spring, insects like ants, cockroaches, centipedes, flies, hornets, millipedes and mosquitoes start re-emerging as they search for moisture and food sources. Being the season that falls immediately before spring, winter is actually the best time to prepare your home for unwanted spring pest intrusions.
Remember, pest prevention is the best form of defence. It all starts with sealing up entry points in your foundation and walls of your home. This means every gap, crack and opening, no matter how small they appear. A task that many leave to the professionals, things like steel wool and caulking are commonly used to deter intruding mice or rats. Elsewhere, weather stripping is popular among Canadian homeowners since it can be applied to any gaps in the doors and windows in your home. What better way to feel reassured about your home than by pre-empting spring intrusions ahead of time?
4. Attics Provide Winter Shelter For Spiders And Wasps
Many Canadians recoil at the idea of spiders hanging out in their homes, and for good reason. One of the most intimidating-looking pests by appearance, spiders cause distress and arachnophobia to much of the human population. Whether we like it not, spiders are often discovered in attics during wintertime. Why? Because spiders are cold blooded and their eggs cannot survive freezing winter temperatures. Laying their eggs in autumn, eggs are laid in a silk sac, often hidden in a web. If you’re brave enough to set foot in your attic, it’s important to remove spider webs and egg cases in order to prevent spiders re-emerging when warmer weather arrives.
The same rules apply for specific types of wasps too. If you’re questioning where do wasps go in winter, the answer is undisturbed locations like your attic. For the same reasons previously explained in this blog, wasps attempt to find quiet, safe places to survive and wait out winter. Both highly problematic species, you can leave spider removal and wasp removal to the experts at Terminix Canada.
5. Carpenter Ants And Termites Still Destroy Wood Internally And Unknowingly
We referenced them earlier in this blog but they’re both important enough to warrant their own section. That’s right, we’re talking about carpenter ants and termites. What do they both have in common? A love for destroying the wood in our homes, that’s what. While carpenter ants don’t eat wood, they excavate galleries for their nesting areas. Elsewhere, termites eat through wooden flooring, furniture, wooden frames, doors, and anywhere else in your home where there’s wood.
Why these pests require special attention in winter, and any time to be honest, is the fact they’re incredibly evasive. Like we’ve previously discussed, when these pests are indoors, they’re immune from freezing temperatures outside. Causing damage to wooden objects, fixtures and fittings in your home unknowingly, this is all part of the reason why professional ant control and termite control exists.
Want To Implement The Best Pest Control In Winter? Start Right Now With Terminix Canada
Offering 24/7 support, our winter pest control specialists will tackle the pest problems plaguing your home. Learn more about our residential pest control services in Canada today.