Winters in Greensboro carry an average high temperature falling below 56 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the winter. The average low of 32 degrees in January will undoubtedly send everybody seeking warmth indoors.
Unfortunately, this includes pests. They will make their way in and wreak havoc on your home if not taken care of promptly.
Read on to learn the most common pests that invade homes during winter.
Spiders
When it gets cold, you can almost expect to see a spider webbed up in a corner somewhere. Wait to raise the alarm bells because one harmless spider may do a little maintenance with other bugs.
Do begin to worry if you see webs popping up everywhere. This can indicate an infestation rather than a visitor.
If you suspect a problem with these common pests, look around corners and dark spaces for other spiders, egg sacs, and black droppings that look like tiny paint splatters.
You may want to handle a small infestation by cleaning out all webs, removing egg sacs from home, and finishing with tea tree oil. Do not attempt this with too many spiders, as you can get bitten.
Steer completely clear of common venomous spiders, like the black widow, brown recluse, and yellow sac spider. Keep family and pets away and call the professionals to handle it.
Ants
In the colder months, food becomes scarce and the temperatures make survival difficult. Ants will hibernate in their outdoor colonies for this reason.
But they can still plague you as a common winter pest. These intelligent creatures sometimes build colonies within a home where it gets warmth, protection, and easy access to food.
These insects live in extensive colonies. So if you notice a few, especially in the wintertime, then you can expect a lot hiding somewhere.
Listen for rustling in your walls. Check for food trails in your pantry and across the kitchen floor. Follow trails because they typically take the same path back to their nest.
Carpenter ants may leave holes and piles of sawdust. These guys can cause a lot of damage to your home.
Termites
Termites may look small. But a colony can quickly destroy the infrastructure of your home.
These common pests ravage anything containing cellulose, including wood. They have a set of long and robust mandibles that allow them to chew through the wooden beams holding up your house.
They will also destroy furniture and anything else in their reach. Unfortunately, you don’t see these winged insects as they work inside your walls.
Look for other signs like mud tubes they travel through, or their woody droppings, frass. Also, pay attention to any discolorations, bubbles, or marks in your wall paint.
Pay attention if your doors stop swinging properly. The wood will warp as these insects eat through the inside, causing it to get stuck.
When let go, these common pests will multiply along with the damage they do. The average cost of repairing termite damage can exceed $10,000, so take a proactive approach.
Cockroaches
People often associate cockroaches with dirty restaurant kitchens. But, these common pests will not discriminate against a clean home when the temperature drops.
Cockroaches enjoy dark and humid spaces. If you keep a lot of stuff in your damp basement, they might hole up there.
Other spaces that can attract these common pests are cabinets with leaky pipes and cupboards with unwrapped food.
When they infest, these critters will leave behind droppings, shredded skin, and smear marks. You will also notice the musty smell of their pheromones.
Though cockroaches do not cause much structural damage to a home, they will make a mess. They also carry harmful bacteria that can make your family sick.
Mice and Rats
Rodents enjoy warm spaces with easy access to food. Both mice and rats can slip through cracks much smaller than their bodies to make their way into your home. These common pests typically do not come alone. They reproduce at an astounding rate, meaning once the problem begins, it multiplies.
Both creatures eat through food packaging and rip up belongings to get nesting material. They leave droppings everywhere and ruin everything they urinate on.
The strong ammonia smell permeates carpets, wood floors, and more, making their presence obvious. You may also hear a scatter across the floors and chirping in the walls, especially at night.
Mice and rat infestations both put your health at risk. According to the CDC, these rodents spread diseases like the hantavirus.
Bats
Insects are not the only winged common pests that will invade your home during the winter. The unattended attic space makes an excellent hideout for bats.
You may hear these winged rodents flying around at night, speaking and screeching. Their skin excretes oil so these critters will leave dark grease marks on the walls.
Like with mice and rats, you can often smell the strong scent of ammonia in their urine. And like their wingless counterparts, these rodents also carry diseases.
They can cause significant damage to your home as well. Their urine and guano soak through walls and can eventually crumble your home’s infrastructure.
Tips for Avoiding Winter Pests
As the weather gets cold, you may want to hire Pest Management Systems for a routine pest inspection. You can take other measures as well to help keep pests away.
Keep your home clean and uncluttered. Pests are attracted to food and places they can nest.
Seal cracks and open areas in your home’s infrastructure. Screen chimney vents so pests cannot get in that way.
Check for leaks and take care of any damp areas in your home. Keep all food stored in sealed containers.
Cut back landscaping away from your house and store firewood far away from the house. While these tips will help reduce the likelihood of these common pests, there is no guaranteed way to eliminate all risks.
Keep the Most Common Pests Away
When preparing your home for winter, consider keeping it safe from pests. The most common pests that infest homes during the wintertime can carry diseases and do expensive damage to your house.
We want to help protect your home. Contact Pest Management Systems for an inspection and your other pest control needs.
