The short answer to this question is YES. It’s a myth that pests stop or die off during the colder months. Pests like mice, rats, termites, carpenter ants and even fleas are quite active during the winter months and looking for a place to stay warm. Keeping up with your pest control year-round is the best way to prevent these pests from invading your home when the weather turns cold.
1. Rodents – The top pest on the list for wintertime months are rodents. They try to gain entry to your home to find a place to stay warm for the winter. It’s important to do the necessary prevention and pest control for rodents all year long.
2. Spiders, webs and nests – Spiders are less active during the winter, however, this is when they produce their egg sacs and set up nests for their next generation. It’s important to keep up with pest control for spiders and finding and eliminating their eggs and nests so you don’t find yourself with a major infestation of teeny spiders come spring.
3. Termites and carpenter ants – Termites and carpenter ants invade the structure of your home, the wood and walls. It’s important not to let up on your pest control efforts during the winter as these pests are active year-round, especially once they make their way into your home. Especially with our relatively mild and short winters, termite control is necessary even during winter.
4. Dormant insects – Many insects invade and then go into a dormant state for the winter. They might take up shelter in your attic, your basement or your crawlspace waiting for the warm weather to return. Some of these insects include boxelder bugs, beetles, cluster flies and spiders. Keeping up on your pest control keeps them from invading your space during the winter and prevents an infestation when warmer weather returns.
5. Cockroaches – Specifically, German cockroaches are active all year round. They are always looking for boxes to hide in, firewood to nest into and other places to ride out the cold months. Letting up on your pest control gives them a window of opportunity to make your home theirs as well.
6. Fleas – Fleas in South Carolina are active year round. While they do go into a form of stupor on the coldest days, your pet’s warm body is enough to wake them up. It’s important to keep up on your flea prevention efforts, including treatments for your pet, all year long.
Is pest control necessary during the winter months? Absolutely. We’ve given you several examples of pests that are active or invade when weather turns cold that can cause a major problem in your home either during the cold or when the temperatures rise. Keeping on top of your pest control is simple. Just call The Pest Force and we’ll make sure you are free of bugs that bug you during the winter.