Updated: Sept 6, 2023

Common Pests that Invade the Home During the Winter Season

Winter means cold weather, harsh conditions, and a lack of food for small critters and pests. Unfortunately, your home is ideal for shelter until spring arrives. To avoid this problem, you can be proactive about winter pest control in several ways. Our experts at EcoCare Pest Control are here to ensure your home remains pest-free all year. Here are some of the most common culprits.

Spiders and Cockroaches

Spiders and cockroaches don’t hibernate and love dark, undisturbed spaces. You’ll often find spiders hiding in closets, attics, crawl spaces, and basements. Cockroaches, on the other hand, prefer areas close to food and water. They’re most often found in kitchens and bathrooms. To keep your home spider and cockroach-free, take the following precautions:

• Keeping your kitchen clean
• Sweeping up crumbs regularly and making sure you take out the garbage often
• Vacuuming the carpet frequently
• Trim trees and shrubs to make it more difficult for spiders to enter your home

Spiders and cockroaches aren’t just creepy and crawly. They also pose significant health risks, and it’s worth practicing winter pest control so they remain outside where they belong. With over 20 years of experience, we know sometimes more than taking all the right steps is needed to keep pests out. Fortunately, you have EcoCare Pest Control.

Mice and Rats

Mice are a common house nuisance in the winter, and rats are just as happy to infiltrate warm homes. Both like to make nests in dark, undisturbed places like attics or basements, and they carry some diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Mice are very good at chewing through drywall and wires in search of food, and rats have been known to chew through lead pipes to access water.
Unfortunately, rats can enter through a hole as small as a quarter, and mice are tiny enough to squeeze through a space the size of a dime. To keep these critters from entering your home, take the following precautions:

• Keep your home clutter-free. These pests love to make nests in unoccupied areas and under rubble.
• Use caulk and steel wool to seal every crack and hole outside your home.
• Store pet food and any other food source not commonly used in airtight containers.
• Be on the lookout for evidence of rats and mice, including droppings, gnawed places, and greasy marks caused by a rat’s oily fur.
• Keep moisture out of your basement and crawl space.

If you notice signs of a mouse or rat infestation, call the pros immediately to ensure they’re effectively eliminated.

Bedbugs

Bed bugs are tiny little pests that live in the seams of mattresses and, if the infestation is bad enough, in couches and carpets. Since bed bugs don’t hibernate through the winter, they’re known to move indoors during colder months. Many people aren’t aware they have an infestation until they begin waking up with itchy bites. Getting rid of them can be tough, which is why we specialize in bed bug removal. To prevent bed bugs from taking residence in your home, follow these winter pest control tips:

• Add a protective mattress bag to every mattress in your home that’s effective at preventing bed bugs.
• Spray your bedding with a solution of water and essential oils like cinnamon, clove, peppermint, or tea tree oil.
• Wash your bedding regularly, and watch for signs of bed bugs on your mattress by checking the seams in between each changing of the sheets.

Prepare for Winter Ahead of Time With EcoCare Pest Control

The best way to practice successful pest control in your home is by taking preventative measures. Winter pest control means making your home less appealing for pests to take up residence and harder for them to enter in the first place. That way, they’ll find an easier place to weather the cold. If you need help, contact EcoCare Pest Control today. We’ll happily provide a free inspection and a quote to keep your home pest-free all year.

Image Source: YULIYA Shustik //Shutterstock